Harry Potter and the Wings of the Dragon
by Eragon Skulblakahjarta
Summary: This is my new attempt at writing Fanfiction. Prepare for a wild ride of GoF fun, dragons, new magics, weapons, and races. Creature!Harry, OCs, dimension travel, new friends, new enemies. Following the storyline for now, but might be AU soon. Rated T for mild descriptive violence and rare curse. Enjoy! Pairing is Harry/ofc(Original Female Character). Arc 1 COMPLETE as of 3/4/16
1. Prologue

**Hello everyone! This is my second attempt at writing fanfiction. The first time failed horribly for me(partly because I lost a large amount of interest in the books), so I hope this time will be better. That being said, THIS IS A SIDE HOBBY ****ONLY****! I MAY OR MAY NOT FINISH IT AND THE CHAPTERS ****WILL**** BE UPLOADED RANDOMLY; pretty much whenever I have the time and feel like writing. So please do not expect great writing or super long chapters. I'm lucky if I manage 1k a chapter, though it's starting to edge towards 2k. Finally, I would suggest reading my other story posted on DeviantArt beforehand. It will likely explain a great many thing, depending on how the story progresses. The link can be found in my profile.**

**DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but my own characters. All characters, settings, spells, races, etc. that are included in the HP books are property of J.K. Rowling. I will most likely draw on some of the other fanfictions I've read, so if you see your stuff hear, well, it belongs to you.**

**That being said, on with the story!**

Harry Potter and the Wings of the Dragon

Prologue – One thousand years in the past

An old man with a long, snow white beard sat in an ancient looking wooden chair at the top of a tower in a castle located near a Scottish loch, reading a book by the rising light of dawn. He was clothed in long, midnight blue robes that were covered in cresent moons, stitched in shinning white and silver thread. A matching hat sat upon his balding head and half-moon glasses on his long and crooked nose aided his sky-blue eyes in deciphering the text on the pages before him. An oak staff as gnarled and crooked as its owner leant on the side of the chair, a large emerald set in the top, seeming to glow with inner power.

The peace of the moment was shattered as a resounding roar echoed off of the mountains surrounding the castle. Calmly, the old man looked up into the morning sky, smiling as he caught sight of a large white creature circling high above him. The creature roared once more before diving and disappearing behind the great towers of the castle. With a shake of his head, the old man went back to reading his book.

Moments later, he was joined by a tall, raven-haired man in pure white robes. This new-comer also carried a staff, though this one was bright white, with a sapphire jewel set in the top. Pointed ears poked through his curtain of ebony hair.

Together, they watched the sun rise in companionable silence till it was high above the mountains. They looked at each, each remembering the trials and events they went through to get here, before the younger of the two spoke.

"It's time."

"So it is, my old friend," the old man said, sighing. "I will miss you greatly, but your destiny is not here. You will be safe there; our wards have made sure of that."

"It is not myself that I worry for. I am concerned about my brothers and sisters, and what they must do."

"I know, my friend. Though they may not like it, both Godric and Salazar understand what must be done, for the future of our world to stay true. As do you."

"Indeed."

Moments passed, and nothing else was said. Eventually, the raven-haired man handed his staff to the older of the pair, before clasping hands with each other. Silently, the white-robed man released his companion and stepped back, nodding once before turning on the spot and disappearing.

Exactly one thousand years into the future, a huge, slitted, blue eye snapped open in a long-forgotten cavern, deep beneath the Scottish mountains.

**Well, how did I do for a first try of this story? Interesting enough? I know it's a little short, but I wanted to get this out there before I continued the story. See if you can guess who the people are! Thanks for reading!**

**Skulblakahjarta, out.**


	2. Chapter 1 Fire and Claws

**DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but my own characters. All characters, settings, spells, races, etc. that are included in the HP books are property of J.K. Rowling. Any other books, movies, shows, etc. that I may mention or draw from are property of their own creators and/or designers. I will most likely draw on some of the other fanfictions I've read, so if you see your stuff hear, well, it belongs to you.**

Harry Potter and the Wings of the Dragon

Chapter 1; Fire and Claws

"AND NOW, OUR FOURTH, AND FINAL CHAMPION WILL FACE HIS DRAGON!"

As Harry Potter walked out of the tent near the edge of the arena for the first task, most would think he would be panicking at the thought of facing a dragon. A good many others would think that he was insane for even thinking about it. Those people do not know Harry Potter very well, as they are about to find out. For Harry Potter was neither panicking, nor insane. Instead, he was quite irritated at the designers of the Task.

_A dragon?! _Harry thought as he walked into the arena and saw the Hungarian Horntail staring him down. _They call this pitiful wretch a DRAGON?! By my fire, she is little more intelligent than a Dementor!_

While Harry was silently grumbling to himself, the Horntail had decided that the small human had come a bit too close to her nest. Rearing back, she inhaled, and then let loose a stream of bright orange flame, accompanied by an ear-shattering roar.

Diving out of the way, Harry rolled to a stop behind a large boulder. The fire cut off a few seconds later, and as the Horntail was drawing in another breath, Harry darted out and rapidly fired several blasting and cutting spells towards the dragon. She shrugged them off with barely a scratch, much to the dismay of the spectators. Before Harry had the time to cast any more spells, another jet of fire lanced out towards him, forcing him to find cover or be burned to a crisp.

Kneeling behind a small outcropping of rock, he quickly stowed his wand away, before raising his hand to the sky and sending out a pulse of magic.

Barely a second later, his hand grasped the hilt of a shining, hand-and-a-half sword. This blade made even the Sword of Gryffindor pale in comparison. The blade colored in a two-tone shade of blue; deep sapphire on the edges and tip, with a sky blue on the spine with a flame-like pattern welding the two together. The cross guard was a deep blue, almost black, color in the shape of a spread pair of dragon wings arched in a U shape, the support bones facing the blade. The hilt was made from a piece of an ancient redwood tree, and wrapped in black leather. The pommel was made up of the same metal as the cross guard and blade and has been formed into the shape of a dragon's paw, a brilliant blue sapphire clutched in its talons. Just above the guard, a series of runes was carved, seemingly by taking a knife or claw and slashing and stabbing in a specific order.

Firmly grasping the hilt of the sword with his right hand, Harry then summoned a crackling ball of blue lightning in his left. Suitably prepared, he leapt out from behind the boulder screaming a wordless challenge to the angry mother drake.

Without hesitation, the Horntail spewed out yet another jet of fire, only to have Harry twirl to the side and keep running, barely losing any speed. Soon he was next to the dragon, and with a shout he leapt upwards, tossing the ball of lightning as he did so. Firmly grasping the hilt of his sword, he prepared to drive the blade deep into the tough hide of the Horntail, only to be smacked away from her neck by her forepaw. Flying through the air, his sword spun out of his grasp and embedded itself deeply into the arena floor. A second later, he hit the side of the arena, before falling to the ground, gasping for breath. He kneeled there for a moment, catching his breath, before looking up just in time to get a stone the size of his fist straight to his face. For a moment, he froze, before glaring at the strangely smug-looking Horntail. Slowly, he reached up a hand, and touched his fingers just under his nose, before pulling back to show the crimson red blood that clung to his fingers.

Instantly, the angry and affronted glare he had turned to the Horntail became much more. His eyes suddenly took on a brilliant blue color, and seemed to glow. The entire audience went strangely silent; even the Horntail stilled for a moment. With a snarl, his form seemed to ripple, before he suddenly started growing and changing before the eyes of the audience. Brilliant silvery-white scales and scutes appeared over his skin in a wave. His feet elongated and morphed, five toes merging into three, with long, sharp talons bursting from the tip. His leg bones cracked and ben into new shapes, forming a digitigrade stance. Two large wings and a long, tapered tail burst from his back and shredded his clothing, leaving him in just his scales; luckily, his "bits" were safely tucked away internally, saving Harry from any embarrassment and disappointing a good many hopeful girls. His arms were next, getting slightly longer, his hands shifting till he had three claw-tipped fingers and a thumb for each hand. Finally, his neck lengthened and his face grew out into a fierce muzzle, his hair falling out and being replaced by six horns, in three pairs. One large pair was formed in the middle of Harry's head, with two smaller pairs, one in front, and one behind, each slightly closer to each other, making it seem like he had a ring or "crown" of horns on his head. His ears had grown long and pointy, and were now able to be angled much like a cat's.

The entire change happened in less than two seconds and left everyone quite startled. Harry started to growl deep in his throat, the sound echoing throughout the arena, making the spectators unconsciously lean back in their seats. As the growl changed into a short, sharp snarl before fading away, the daze that had fallen over the spectators lifted and they all looked on in anticipation.

For a moment, all was still. Then, as one, both Harry and the Horntail exploded into action. Once again, the Horntail reared up for another blast of fire, as Harry sprinted forwards, curving around towards Dovahiisk. He reached it seconds before the Horntail's fire impacted. Ripping the blade from the ground, he leapt upwards into a backflip, he beat his wings once as the flip was completed, then came down to land heavily on one knee as the dragon-fire died out. Looking up at the Horntail, he roared and sprung towards the other drake.

"**_Yol!_**" he barked as he ran forwards. Instantly, the blade of his sword was wreathed in sapphire flames, powered by Harry's own magic, and that of the land surrounding it. Once again, he leapt, aiming to drive the sword into the Horntail's spine, crippling it. This time, the drake only had time to bring up her tail and try to spear Harry before he landed. That was a mistake.

With a powerful swing, Dovahiisk bit into and through the dragon's spiked tail, severing the tip. As the Horntail writhed and thrashed, screeching in pain, she caught Harry in the stomach with her wing, throwing him away. This time, he managed to flip around and spring off the wall before coming to rest standing in front of the Horntail, only to be greeted by a blast of flame rushing at him. Having no time to escape the blast, he did the only thing he could and plunged Dovahiisk into the rocky ground deep enough that he was forced to kneel, and the most powerful shield he knew, anchoring it to his sword.

Even with the wall of magic between him and the fire, as well as his own scales, Harry could still feel the heat of dragon-flame. Moments later, it cut off and Harry stood up, leaving Dovahiisk where it was. Before, he was merely irritated, then angry. Now, the only way to describe him would be "pissed."

Stalking towards the Horntail, he sucked in a deep breath, before spitting out a short, sharp burst of brilliant blue fire. As it left his maw, Harry quickly formed a thin shell of magic around the blast, keeping it contained and pressurized. The reason for this became apparent as the ball of fire impacted the Horntail's chest.

_BOOM!_

The explosion of dragon-fire managed to flip the Horntail onto her back and before she could right herself, Harry had darted in, grabbed the egg, and winged away back to entrance to the arena. Looking towards the judges, he found them, and the rest of the spectators staring at him, gaping. Shrugging, he turned and started walking towards Hogwarts, and more specifically, the Hospital Wing. He really should get those ribs looked at…

**A/N; Well, what do you think? The ideas are still coming along pretty good for now, so I should have some more chapters within the next few days. As always, fav, review, watch, etc. and enjoy the story!**


	3. Chapter 2 Revelations Part 1

**DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but my own characters. All characters, settings, spells, races, etc. that are included in the HP books are property of J.K. Rowling. Any other books, movies, shows, etc. that I may mention or draw from are property of their own creators and/or designers. I will most likely draw on some of the other fanfictions I've read, so if you see your stuff hear, well, it belongs to you.**

**A/N; I have noticed on previous chapters that my lines to separate the scenes have not come out correctly. Therefore, I am now going to use *HPWD* as my "lines." I will go back and edit the previous chapters for this as well, so you may want to glance through them again if you were confused the first time. Thank you.**

Harry Potter and the Wings of the Dragon

*HPWD*

Chapter 2; Revelations

*HPWD*

Roughly two hours later, Harry was sitting on one Madam Pomfrey's hospital beds, the tip of his tail twitching behind him as he fought to contain his amusement. For over an hour and a half, Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Dumbledore had been trying to unsuccessfully reverse, as McGonagall put it, "A very interesting self-transfiguration."

Finally, all three sat back, slumping in exhaustion.

"I'm sorry, my boy," Dumbledore said. "But I'm afraid that we cannot affect your form at all. I think you must have gone a bit overboard when doing the change; you appear to be spell-resistant now." He sighs in defeat. "Well, it was a good idea at least. Though I am afraid what the Ministry will say when they find out that you don't look even remotely human. No matter, we'll just have to make the best of it."

"Oh, you mean I should look something like this?" Harry asks as his form flowed and shifted into a much more human-like one, though pointed ears poked out of his now long and wavy hair, showing him to have taken the form of one of the long-lost High-Elves.

The four adults in the room gaped at him, before McGonagall's eyes rolled back up into her head and she collapsed in a dead faint, falling out of her chair and onto the floor with a heavy thump. With a slightly concerned expression, Harry leaned to the side in order to see around Dumbledore, and peered worriedly at McGonagall. Glancing at the others in the room, he saw that nothing was going to be done but stare at each other. Grumbling quietly, he got up of the bed, scooped McGonagall up in his arms and gently deposited her in the bed that he had just vacated.

Looking over Dumbledore, Flitwick, and Pomfrey, Harry saw that they were still staring at the bed in shock. Shaking his head and mumbling about crazy wizards, he walked out of the hospital and out onto the grounds. Walking down to the lake, he shifted into a quadruped version of the form he used during the First Task. The only other difference was that he was roughly twice the size of the Horntail. That done, he plopped himself down on the grassy banks and spread out as much as possible to enjoy some of the last rays of the summer sun. Soon, he found himself drifting off into a doze, just listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore of the lake and feeling the setting sun on his scales.

*HPWD*

"Bludy 'ell!"

Cracking one bleary eye open, Harry glanced around for the one who had shouted the exclamation. Finding it to be dark out, he finally saw Professor McGonagall standing a few yards away from his head.

_Yes? _He asked her, forming the question telepathically.

McGonagall seemed to shake herself before pulling a phoenix pendant out of her pocket and speaking into it.

"Albus?" she asked, her Scottish accept still nearly impenetrably thick.

"Yes, Minerva? Have you found something?"

"Ye coul' say tha'. I do nae see 'ow we be missin' 'im!"

"Minerva?" Dumbledore asked, sounding rather concerned. "Are you quite all right?"

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself before replying. This time, her brogue was much better.

"Yes, thank ye, Albus. I'll be bringin' 'im to yer office soon enough, so if ye could be so kind as te meet us there…"

"I'm on my way."

Stowing the pendant away, she finally looked back up at Harry.

"I'm going to guess you heard all of that?"

Bemused, Harry could simply nod.

"Very well, let's go then. And for Merlin's sake, can you go back to what you looked like a few hours ago before you scare any late-night student wanderers away?!"

"Of course, Professor," Harry said as he finished shifting into his elven form. "After you."

*HPWD*

Walking through the halls of Hogwarts, Harry allowed his mind to wander, trying to decide on what to say to the teachers. Just as he got a shaky idea of what was to be said, he and Prof. McGonagall had reached the main corridor leading to Prof. Dumbledore's office.

Suddenly stopping, Harry stared forcefully at the gargoyle sitting at the end of the hall in front of the spiral stairs leading up to Prof. Dumbledore's office. Stalking forwards, he ignored the startled look that McGonagall was giving him and growled deep in his throat. Coming to a halt in front of the gargoyle, but never ceasing in his growl, Harry spoke directly to the statue.

"Well? Will you let me pass, or must I remind you why we don't get along?"

There was a moment's pause, before the stone decoration shuddered and slid to the side. Grinning fiercely at the statue, Harry swept up the stairs and knocked once on the door before stalking in, grumbling.

"Harry?" Dumbledore asked, startled as the Tri-Wizard champion swept into his office.

Ignoring him except for a quick glance and an irritated snarl, harry turned towards the red and gold phoenix situated on his perch at the side of Dumbledore's desk.

"Drem yol lok, Zeymah do Yolos,(A/N; Peace fire sky, Brother of Flame)" Harry intoned, bowing his head towards the fire-bird. Trilling cheerfully, Fawkes replied.

_*"The same to you, my friend. Though I must say, you are not looking very peaceful."*_

Harry grimaced in response to the mental voice echoing in his head. _*"Nor would you, had you been forced to wear a semi-permanent glamour for nigh on 15 years. Your fire stifled for all that time, as your memories were locked away, only to be suddenly awakened when a flaming cup spits out your name. Not fun."*_

All the others heard while Harry was talking with Fawkes was a bunch of growls, warbles, and chirps. Finally turning away from the fire bird, Harry looked at the assembled Hogwarts staff, chuckling at their confused faces.

"Sorry about that," he said. "It is tradition to greet your Zeymar do Yolos, your Brother of Flame, before anyone else. No offence meant to you, Albus."

Eyes twinkling, the headmaster replied, "That's quite alright, my dear boy. I know how hard instinct and tradition can be to ignore. Would you perhaps care to elaborate on the events of this morning?"

"Certainly, Albus. It would undoubtedly more interesting, though much less amusing, than listening to you come up with an excuse for waking me. Now then, have you-"

"INSOLENT BRAT!" Snape bellowed. "How dare you speak to the Headmaster in that manner! You owe him your respect! I don't care what crack-pot story you come up with, you are still a student and-"

"Oh, hush, Snivillus," Harry said absently, waving his hand in Snape's direction, both dismissing him and casting a silencing charm in one motion. Turning back to Dumbledore, he continued. "As I was starting to ask, have you ever heard of the myth of the Fifth Founder?"

"Yes…" Albus said, not quite sure where Harry was going with this.

Instead of elaborating, Harry stepped around Dumbledore's desk and moved towards a large portrait of an aged, sleeping wizard. He was seated in an exact replica of the Headmaster's office, though there unfamiliar mountains, plains, and forests visible through the window behind him. Next to him were two staves leaned against his chair, one of twisted and gnarled oak, the other a pure white unknown wood. This portrait was unique in the fact that is has never spoken or woken in a thousand years, despite the best efforts of multiple headmasters and mistresses. Leaning in towards it, he spoke.

"Mellon."

Albus smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand in exasperation. He had tried as many pass codes and incantations as he could think of, and yet, a simple word from one of his favorite muggle book series was all it took to activate the portrait.

Starting awake, the old man in the portrait stretched then looked around, before his gaze landed on Harry. Taking in his features, the old man got a sad, forlorn expression of his face.

"He has returned, hasn't He?"

Harry silently nodded in conformation.

"Very well," the old man said with a sigh. "Good luck, and may the Wind always fill your wings." As he finished talking, he lifted the white staff from its place at his side and extended it forwards. The surface of the portrait shimmered like water, before the staff emerged from it, floating in mid-air. As Harry gently gripped the staff, the old wizard nodded once, before settling down to sleep once more.

Grinning, Harry turned back to the stunned Hogwarts professors.

"The Fifth Founder is not a myth. I have returned after a thousand years of study and solitude, to push back the coming Darkness once more. I am one of the Ancients, just as Merlin was before me. My name is Kalinth Aerendyl, Protector of Midgard, Guardian of the World Tree, Champion of Asgard, and Favored of Akatosh."

*HPWD*

**Well, it certainly has been a long time, hasn't it? Though there is this little thing called "life" that keeps getting in the way, as well as the fact that I just didn't feel like writing for a good long while. Oh well, at least I'm not holding myself to a set schedule. Who knows? Maybe I'll get another chapter out tomorrow, or it might be another couple months. Oh well, we'll see how it goes!**


	4. Chapter 3 Revelations Part 2

**DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but my own characters. All characters, settings, spells, races, etc. that are included in the HP books are property of J.K. Rowling. Any other books, movies, shows, etc. that I may mention or draw from are property of their own creators and/or designers. I will most likely draw on some of the other fanfictions I've read, so if you see your stuff hear, well, it belongs to you.**

**A/N; Thank you all for the reviews, follows, and favs! I did notice that some people (You know who you are), did not like how I've been writing McGonagall's accent while she's upset. I have one suggestion for you; Don't like, don't read. One of the genres that this story is listed under is "Humor." To me, writing McGonagall's accent like that is amusing, if slightly exaggerated. It's not supposed to be realistic.**

Harry Potter and the Wings of the Dragon

*HPWD*

Chapter 3; Revelations Part 2

*HPWD*

Once again, there was a _thump _as McGonagall fainted to the floor. Sighing, Kalinth (A/N; btw, I'll likely be using Kalinth from now on to refer to Harry. After all, he's over a thousand years old and has only had the name "Harry" for just over a dozen years.) waved his hand and revived her. As she dragged herself back into her chair, Dumbledore spoke up.

"Well, uh… Kalinth, was it? Yes, well, is there anything else that you can tell us? Personally, I've always been fascinated with the Fifth Founder."

"Of course, Albus," He said, settling down in one of the Headmaster's many plush chairs. "All I ask is that you save any questions for after the explanation.

"The first thing you need to know, is that I'm not originally from this world. I came here from an Earth who had had Her magic bound and contained. As a result, there were no magical creatures, be they witch, wizard, dragon, giant, or house-elf. I was a normal human teenager, tall, lanky, and entirely unremarkable. The only thing that set me apart was my love for bladed weapons. Swords, daggers, glaives, bow and arrows, you name it; give me anything that was sharp and shiny, and I could do nearly anything. Of course, that all changed during a typical hiking trip. My family had always loved the woods, and often let me go explore while they stayed back at camp. One of the times, I found a small, white scale. I took it back to camp with me and started playing with it. It soon stuck to my skin and I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in the form of what you saw during the First Task.

"Needless to say, my family and friends were shocked. I soon learned that I could do magic, and it went from there. After a few days, I guess the ambient magic if the air of Earth was strong enough from me experimenting that it unblocked the seals that kept Earth's magic contained. After forging my sword, I managed to come here.

"Once I arrived, I was greeted by an old man with a staff; Merlin. He introduced me to his adopted sons and daughters; the Four Founders. Under them, I learned all I could. Eventually, though, I knew it was time for me to disappear. So, I hid away in a cave beneath a lost mountain range, waiting and learning for a thousand years until I heard the call of Magic once again.

"It turned out that the Potters did have a child, but he died during birth. I met them some days later and felt pity for them. I offered to become their child, with all my memories and abilities sealed away until the time was right. Even if nothing happened, when my "life" was up, the glamour and memory blocks would fall and I would return to myself. When Voldemort attacked, Lily's sacrifice ritual provided enough of a protection that my Dovah Sil, my Dragon Soul, could throw off the rest of the killing curse. Now that I have my full strength back, no soul magic can affect me.

"After Tom tried to kill me, I was sent to the Dursleys, and the rest of the story, you know."

There was silence for a good long while after Kalinth finished his tale, broken only by the sound of him standing to get a drink from the set of crystal decanters sitting on one of the many end tables in Dumbledore's office.

The clinking of crystal brought the staff out of their daze. Turning to look at Kalinth, Albus spoke up.

"Uh, I wouldn't do that if I were you. Generations of Headmasters and Mistresses have been trying to open that decanter set and/or identify the contents. Who knows what might be in it."

Chuckling, Kalinth responded as he finished pouring his drink and set the decanter back where it was. "I happen to know, as this is my personal set. There are stasis charms and runes on it, so it is perfectly safe to drink. This here, "he said, raising his glass, "Is merely Elderberry wine." As he finished talking, he took a small sip and sat back down, before placing the glass on the Headmaster's desk. Leaning back, he suddenly started seeming to choke, hands flying to his throat and making coughing and hacking noises. Jumping up, the Professors, even Snape, whipped out their wands, trying to figure out what to do. As they were about to start casting spells, Kalinth stopped miming being poisoned and started rolling around in his chair, laughing hysterically. Calming slightly, he started to speak

"Oh! *snort* You should have seen you faces! *snicker* That was priceless! *guaff*"

As they sat back down, Snape muttered to himself, the silencing charm having worn off.

"Insufferable brat…"

Ignoring him for now, Kalinth turned back to Dumbledore.

"Was there anything else, Albus? It's been a long day."

"No, not tonight, my friend. Go and rest well."

"Thank you, Albus," he said, standing and nodding first to him, and then the other teachers. "Good night, to all of you. Fawkes, Aal hin yol dah zek vulom."( May your fire push back the darkness.)

Trilling, the fire bird responded to the tradition farewell. _"Ahrk aal hi bo vahzah, goraan gein."_( And may you fly true, young one)

Grinning, Kalinth looked at the phoenix, mischief sparkling in his eyes.

"Oh no…" McGonagall murmured.

Whipping around, Kalinth extended his magic and opened one of the Headmaster's many windows as he sprinted towards it. As he leapt out, silence fell in the office. Within seconds though, the staff felt the air reverberate with a loud _Thump! _that rattled the castle, as if they were inside a huge drum. It sounded again, and the staff rushed to the windows, leaning out and looking franticly around as many students did the same in their dorms. They were all stunned by the next concussive thump, even louder than the others, as if the creature was directly over the castle now. It was followed by a roar, crying out towards the heavens in freedom and triumph. As the roar's echoes finally died away, there was one last thump before all could see an indistinct shape moving out across the Black Lake. In the light of the waxing half-moon, the white scales of the creature shimmered like starlight, as the behemoth slowly curved in from the lake and out over the Forest. It roared again, this time a scream of challenge to any creature foolish enough to stand against it.

*HPWD*

**A/N; Well, that was torture to write. I hate writing backstories, but hopefully, this will be one of the only ones in this story. Enjoy!**


	5. Chapter 4 The Unwelcome Task

**DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but my own characters. All characters, settings, spells, races, etc. that are included in the HP books are property of J.K. Rowling. Any other books, movies, shows, etc. that I may mention or draw from are property of their own creators and/or designers. I will most likely draw on some of the other fanfictions I've read, so if you see your stuff hear, well, it belongs to you.**

**A/N; None! Imagine that!**

*HPWD*

Chapter 4; The Unwelcome Task

*HPWD*

"I have to do WHAT?!"

Kalinth's astonished shout echoed through the suddenly silent Transfiguration class.

"I said that everyone will be expected to attend the Yule Ball, and you specifically, Mr. Pot- err, Aerendyl, will be one of the four champions opening the Ball." McGonagall said in reply to his outburst.

Kalinth sat back, slightly stunned by this new development. Sure, he had been around for the first Triwizard Tournament, but that one didn't have a Yule Ball in it! They had duels instead! This had to have been a recent development.

"As I was saying before I got interrupted," Here, McGonagall glared lightly towards Kalinth, who muttered an apology. "The Yule Ball is a time for festivities, not staggering around drunk and embarrassing our school like a pack of bumbling, babbling, baboons! I suggest you all dress smartly and bring some holiday spirit with you."

The bell rang for the next class, but no one got up. They all knew what would happen if they did in Prof. McGonagall's class.

"I expect you all to put your best foot forwards in front of our guests. I will not have to embarrassing this school while I still draw breath. In light of that, the teachers will be offering optional dance classes for those who have never danced before or wish to brush up their skills. That's all for now. Class dismissed!"

At once, there was a great scrapping and banging of desk chairs, many thumps of books, and just general excited chatter and chaos that comes with a group of energetic teens.

*HPWD*

"So, Harry, who are you going to ask to go to Ball?"

"Ron," Kalinth sighed in exasperation. "I've told you the last twenty times you've asked me, and my answer hasn't changed. It is a surprise! I already have a date, and I'm not about to insult her by going with a different girl, especially since she already accepted!"

"Ok, ok! Fine, I'll drop it, alright? Just don't go biting my head off!" At that, Ron finally fell silent. After a moment, Kalinth cheered and cried out.

"Thank the Goddess! He finally shut up!"

"Soo…" Ron began, oblivious to Kalinth's growing ire. "Is she pretty?"

"…yyyyyAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGH!"

*HPWD*

Despite Ron pestering him about who he was bringing, Kalinth remained tight-lipped right up till the opening of the ball.

The entrance hall was filled to the brim with eagerly chattering students and teachers, all dressed in fine robes or dresses. Pausing at the top of the steps, Kalinth looked to his companion standing beside him.

She, like him, had the long, tapered, and pointed ears of a high elf. Her long, slightly wavy hair was a beautiful fiery red that fell in a thick curtain to just above her waist. She had the same pale complexion as Kalinth. She had full, inviting lips, nearly always curved up in a charming smile. A small, cute nose accented her sharp features, and piercing violet eyes looked out from under delicately arched eyebrows. Dressed in form fitting armor of amethyst scales that matched the color of her eyes near perfectly with a large, two-hand great sword strapped across her back and twin daggers sheathed on her belt, she made for quite the sight. Kalinth wore a matching set, only in silvery white scales and with his sword, Dovahiisk, sheathed on his back.

Smiling at each other, the beauty spoke first.

"Are you ready for this, my mate?"

"Always, my dear Serelath.(A/N; I'm pronouncing it SERAH-lith)" Kalinth replied, before placing a quick peck on her lips.

Now ready, they walked down the steps to join the rest of the group. Quickly, Professor McGonagall, looking very sharp in her emerald green and brilliant gold dress robes, found them and pulled them aside.

"There you are, Mr. Aerendyl! We've been looking all over for you. The Ball is just about ready to begin. Ah, who is your friend?"

"This, Professor," Kalinth said, looking to Serelath. "Is my long-time companion and mate of 1100 years, Serelath Aerendyl. Serah, this is Professor McGonagall, Hogwarts' current Transfiguration teacher."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Professor." Serelath said, with a short curtesy.

"Likewise," McGonagall stated, smiling at the red-head. "Now, you two enjoy yourselves out there, alright?"

With their nods, McGonagall hurried off as the clock struck 8-o-clock and the doors of the Great Hall opened to admit the first of the guests.

*HPWD*

The four Champions and their dates walked into the Great Hall to the thunderous applause of the student bodies. Kalinth and Serelath entered first, followed by Cedric and Cho, then Fleur and Rodger, with Viktor and Hermione bringing up the rear. There was a good bit of murmuring about who Kalinth's date was, and why they were dressed like they were ready for war, but they both ignored it with the ease of centuries of practice. As the couples reached the dance floor, Prof. Flitwick tapped his wand on the conductor's stand, before the band started to play.

Instead of the traditional songs for a formal Ball, Kalinth had managed to persuade the professors and the band to play a more upbeat Scottish/Celtic themed track. It started out slow, with flutes and a young lady singing in opera style.

The other Champions started at the change of music, but went with it anyways and started slow dancing, spinning each other around and trying not to step on each other's toes too much. Suddenly, the song quieted down. Despite this, the couples continued dancing. As the last notes faded away, the students started to clap, before the song suddenly started once again, though with much more vigor, the flutes going much more loudly, with drums and trumpets accompanying them. (A/N; If you want an example of what I'm talking about, go to YouTube and look up Tartalo Music – Quest for Excalibur. Extend the beginning part a bit, and you have what I'm trying to describe.)

The other Champions were completely lost by now, but the two Aerendyls spun apart, drawing their daggers from their belts. Facing each other, they circle for a moment, before lunging and engaging in an intricate dance of rune-steel. The two spun and twirled, striking, blocking, and deflecting in perfect harmony. As a lull in the music was reached, they spun apart once more, sheathed the daggers, and instead drew their swords from the scabbards strapped to their backs. This time, nothing was held back, and the other Champions and their dates decided to get out of the way of the two elves as they danced with steel. Sometime in the deadly dance, they separated for an instant, and an instant was all it took. Both of their blades burst into brilliant flames, a royal sapphire blue for Kalinth, and a sparkling amethyst for Serelath.

Finally, they locked blades as the song came to an end, and Kalinth leaned in and thoroughly kissed his mate on the lips, to the great applause and whistles of the students.

*HPWD*

**A/N; Well, the story is still coming along nicely. I'll see what I come up with next!**


	6. Chapter 5 The Second Task

**DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but my own characters. All characters, settings, spells, races, etc. that are included in the HP books are property of J.K. Rowling. Any other books, movies, shows, etc. that I may mention or draw from are property of their own creators and/or designers. I will most likely draw on some of the other fanfictions I've read, so if you see your stuff hear, well, it belongs to you.**

**A/N;**

**Kalinth – Must you write about my MATE in so much detail?!**

**Me – Uhh… Yes? The story doesn't make sense otherwise.**

**Kalinth – Story!? I don't care about the thrice-blasted STORY! THAT'S MY MATE!**

**Me – …Opps?**

**Kalinth - …yyyyyAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGH!**

**Me – Eep! Ok, folks! Enjoy the story while I'm trying to outrun my own character! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh…. *Runs away screaming***

*HPWD*

Chapter 5; The Second Task

*HPWD*

Kalinth thumped his head against the library table in exhaustion. He had been in the library all day, looking for a way to magically breathe underwater, without using his shapeshifting talents. He had vowed to only use them as a last resort in the Tasks, or if he or someone else was in danger of losing their lives. Finally, unable to continue, he drifted off into sleep, head pillowed on his crossed arms, nearly completely hidden by the huge piles of books surrounding him.

*HPWD*

*poke*

"Mister Harry Potter Sir must be waking up!"

*poke poke*

Groaning, Kalinth leaned back into the hard library chair, joints popping and cracking from the uncomfortable position he had slept in. Finishing his stretch, he looked down to whoever had woke him up. He was met with the wide, bright green eyes of Dobby.

"Oh, hello, Dobby. Is there something I can do for you?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes, trying to get the sleep out of them

"Mister Harry Potter Sir must be goings to the task. It is being started in 10 minuteses."

"What!? Ten minutes!?"

"Yes sir. Dobby is knowing what you has been looking for. Dobby has seen the other Championses looking for the fish-bowl spell. But Dobby is seeing that Harry Potter Sir is not wanting to be forcing the Elements into non-Element shapeses."

"You mean the Bubble-head charm, Dobby?" At the small creature's nod, Kalinth continued. "You are correct that I don't want to force the elements to do something that they don't want to do, and I don't want to shift my form if at all possible."

"Dobby is knowing this, Sir, and is having the answer." Dobby then held up a writhing mass of what looked like tiny octopus tentacles. "Gillyweed, Sir. It be allowing you to breath under the waters for one hour."

"And you are sure it is safe for non-humans? Even for creatures of Fire and Air?" Kalinth asked, still cautious of anything Dobby tried to give him.

"Yes Sir!"

Kalinth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After holding it for a moment, he let it out in an explosive burst and took the gillyweed from Dobby. "Alright, Dobby. Thank you for your help."

Bowing, Dobby then popped away, leaving Kalinth staring at the disgusting, writhing mass of rotten-looking plant matter held in his hand. It was all he could do to not burn the wretched thing right there, and he would have to _eat _that same bit of ooze later. Shuddering, he blinked apparated directly to the docks on the edge of the Black Lake. As the magic took hold of him, he vaguely wondered why Serah didn't come to wake him.

*HPWD*

"**Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament!" **Dumbledore roared out with the aid of a _Sonorous _charm as the stands of students as teachers roared their approval.** "Last night, something was taken from each of our Champions; as treasure, of sorts. They will have one hour, and one hour only to retrieve what has been taken from them. I hope you will all join me in wishing them good luck!"**

Dumbledore paused once more as the sound of the spectators rose again. On the Champion's pier though, Kalinth had frozen as he realized why Serah hadn't come to wake him in the library. A low growl started rumbling in his throat as Dumbledore continued. Looking down at the gillyweed in his hand, Kalinth tossed it to Snape, ignoring the glare he got from the sour man.

**"****At the sound of the canon, our four Champions will begin their search. As usual, all spells save Black magic and Unforgivables may be used in the Task, so long as it does not injure another Champion or student."**

Tired of waiting, Kalinth impatiently shifted into a huge quadruped version of his true form. Pacing back and forth at the edge of the lake, tail lashing and a growl rumbling in his throat, he ignored the startled stares he was getting.

**"****We will begin in 5…4…3…2…1"** BOOM! **"GO!"**

With a roar, Kalinth immediately launched into the air, the air displaced by his wings making the other Champions stumble in the draft. Ignoring them, he quickly flew out over the lake, before taking a deep breath and diving over the sport where he sensed Serelath the strongest. Instantly, the freezing, watery cold started to seep into him, making his strength flag. Finally, he had to come up for air. Thrusting into the air again, he shook off the freezing water circled for a few moments, before diving once more.

Again and again he dove, each time having to come up after an incredibly short amount of time. Glancing towards the pier told him that he had little over 20 minutes to find his mate before the time was up. Gliding in to land at the shoreline, Kalinth roared in frustration at the water. Sitting on his haunches, he thought for a good five minutes about his options. He obviously couldn't survive long enough in the lake in his current form. He had given Snape back his gillyweed, so that option was out as well. Sighing, he left his form flow into a smaller copy of Jörmungandr, the ancient Midgard Serpent, and son of Loki. Glaring at those who let out cries of terror at his new form, he hissed in frustration. Shaking his head at the wizarding world's stupidity, he turned back to the lake and slithered forwards, falling forwards into the water.

Moments later, two giant dragons - one a brilliant silvery white, and one a shimmering amethyst - burst from the surface of the lake. They swiftly made their way to the shoreline and lightly touched down. The amethyst one laid down at the insistent nudging and growling of the white. The white one, which most now recognized as Kalinth, turned towards the judge's stand. Stalking forwards, his form flowed into the same for he had used in the First Task, though he had all the weapons and armor on, as he did during the Yule Ball. This time, however, you could tell he was prepared to use them for more than a simple light show.

His eyes flickered towards Dumbledore, but at the Headmaster's slight shake of the head, Kalinth zeroed in on Bagman. Darting forwards, he was a blur of motion. One moment he was prowling towards Bagman, next he had the portly Ministry official slammed up against one of the pier's support beams held up by his left hand, while his right wielded Dovahiisk with terrifying precision, the tip gently resting under Bagman's chin.

"If you ever do anything like that again," Kalinth snarled as Bagman fruitlessly thrashed his dangling legs in an attempt to free himself. "I will _end _you. Are we clear?"

"We're clear. We're clear!" Bagman squeaked out as an acrid odor permeated the air around them; Bagman had wet himself in terror.

Snorting a plume of thick, black smoke into Bagman's face, Kalinth released his grip on portly wizard's neck, letting him drop to the ground. Turning around, he sheathed Dovahiisk and walked back towards Serelath, shifting back into his feral form as he did so. Without a backwards glance, the two dragons leapt into the air and flew out across the Forbidden Forest towards the mountains in the distance.

*HPWD*

**IMPORTANT NOTICE! PLEASE READ!**

**Now that I have your attention, I'd like to let you guys know something. I have decided to put posting new chapters on hold for a while. This is so I can actually finish the story and not worry about super long periods where I don't post anything. Sorry if that disappoints any of you, but I would just feel better if I had the entire thing done before making you wait for nearly another year… again…**

**Thanks to all those who have followed, faved, and reviewed this story!**


	7. Chapter 6 Nice Doggy!

**DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but my own characters. All characters, settings, spells, races, etc. that are included in the HP books are property of J.K. Rowling. Any other books, movies, shows, etc. that I may mention or draw from are property of their own creators and/or designers. I will most likely draw on some of the other fanfictions I've read, so if you see your stuff here, well, it belongs to you.**

**A/N; Well, it has been a long time, hasn't it? I've finished the next chapters and will be uploading them once a week on Monday morning until this arc is done. Enjoy!**

*HPWD*

Chapter 6; Nice Doggy!

*HPWD*

The following morning, Kalinth and Serelath strode into the Great Hall, heading straight towards the Gryffindor table. Tightly grasped in Kalinth's hand was a crumpled piece of old, dirty parchment. Despite the apparent age and filthiness of it, he held onto it like it was a lifeline, as the couple plopped themselves down across from Ron and Hermione.

Kalinth slid the parchment across to them, before reaching towards the food.

"Snuffles," Serah elaborated at Ron and Hermione's confused glances.

Her eyes widening, Hermione snatched the letter off the table and eagerly bent over it, Ron peering over her shoulder, absently pulling her bushy hair away from his face. Their eyes, if possible, got even wider as they read.

"Next week?" Ron asked incredulously. "What the bloody hell does he think he's doing coming back here now of all times?! Especially with all these Ministry blokes running about!"

"Sshh! Keep it down!" Kalinth chided him. "Yes, that was my reaction too, but it can't be helped now. He's on the move, and has warded himself for sure. We can only hope he makes it safe."

"He better." Hermione stated empathetically.

*HPWD*

The following Saturday morning, the quartette (Serelath had been allowed to stay after Dumbledore had seen how attached the couple was. Not that he could have made her leave anyways) ate breakfast in the Great Hall as normal, occasionally swiping some smaller foodstuffs for Sirius later on.

Directly afterwards, Ron and Hermione hurried down to the kitchens to ask for some heavier food, stating it was for a picnic with some friends. They came sprinting out to the Entrance Hall, Ron weighed down with a huge picnic basket filled to the brim with food – both ready-to-eat and raw ingredients – hurrying towards the two elves as they waited. They nearly skidded to stop next to Kalinth and Serah as they reached Filch and Professor McGonagall at the end of the line waiting to go to Hogsmead.

Shaking her head, McGonagall waved the four through, cracking a slight grin as Ron and Hermione gulped air like it was going out of style.

*HPWD*

Kalinth and Serelath ghosted through the town proper of Hogsmead with the ease of centuries of practice, Ron and Hermione trailing behind them like a couple of lost puppies with Ron still weighed down with the basket. Coming to the end of the main street, they clambered over the perimeter-ward fence marker. As Ron tumbled to the ground after trying to be fancy and vault the fence, they burst out into laughter. They only laughed harder as a clump of late spring snow fell directly onto his face.

Sputtering and red-faced, Ron sat up, grumbling indistinctly. Glaring at the three, his eyes widened as he caught sight of the huge shaggy dog sitting behind them, tongue lolling out of his mouth in a canine laugh.

"Ah, hey there, bud!" Kalinth exclaimed, kneeling down as reaching towards Sirius' head. As he did so, a slightly fearful expression passed over the animagus' canine face, before he shook his head and leaned into the elf's touch, tail wagging. "Why don't you show us to your home, eh? We have food for you, if you manage to get us there without getting lost!"

After a short, good-natured growl at Kalinth, Sirius turned and trotted up the hill, scampering up the rocks. Kalinth and Serah followed quite easily, leaping from rock to rock, occasionally pulling Ron or Hermione up some of the larger boulders as they ascended the mountain.

Suddenly, they saw Sirius disappear through a small crack in the mountainside. Coming up to it, Kalinth, reached out and gently tapped the stone slab that lay across the right side of the entrance. It flickered ever so slightly, indicating that it was illusion. Grinning, he ducked through the gap between the illusionary rock and the true rock of the cave, the others following along behind him.

As soon as he passed the threshold of the cave, he was swept up into the arms of his slightly insane godfather. Chuckling, Kalinth wrapped his arms around Sirius, returning the familiar hug.

"Yes, yes, good to see you too, Sirius. Now can you two break it up? This basket is heavy!"

The two of them turned to see Ron standing in the entrance to the cave with a very disgruntled expression on his face, Serah and Hermione behind him trying to hold in their laughter.

"Sorry, Ron," Kalinth said, moving farther into the cave, dragging Sirius behind him. Turning to the stormy-grey hippogryph at the back on the cave, he ignored the chatter of the others and approached the elegant creature. Before he could bow to him, Buckbeak caught sight of Kalinth and quickly bent his front knees into a deep bow. Slightly bemused, Kalinth bowed back, before they both stood. Kalinth went up to Buckbeak and gave him a few pats on the neck, before turning back to Sirius, who was already at the food they had brought. As the four friends sat around the escaped convict, they exchanged a few greetings as Sirius inhaled the food in front of him.

Finally finishing, Sirius wiped his hands and mouth with a napkin, before looking intently at Kalinth and Serah.

"Now then, it seems that a lot has happened this year that I wasn't aware of. Before we get to that, you two," here, he pointed vigorously at the pair of dragons-in-disguise sitting in front of him. "have a lot of explaining to do. I want to know why as soon as I smelled you in my dog form, I wanted to run as far and fast as I could, then run some more. I've come across some pretty powerful wizards while in my dog form, but none of them have provoked that sort of response from my instincts."

"Well, now," Serah started after a glance at her mate.

"That is a _very _long story," Kalinth finished with a grin.

*HPWD*

After a good two hours of non-stop talking, Kalinth and Serah had finally managed to explain everything to Sirius, with demonstrations included. Finally, Sirius leaned back.

"So let me get this straight. The kid the Potters 'found' after they lost their own child was you, who just happens to be a thousand-year-old Greater Dragon, who has been living under and around the Scottish mountains along with your mate for the past millennium?" He finished he question with a note of disbelief.

"Aye, that's about right." Kalinth confirmed.

"Well," Sirius sighed. "For some reason, I'm not surprised, even though I should be."

"Not really," Serah spoke up. Everyone looked at her curiously.

"Why not?" Sirius said, rather confused.

"He's Kalinth Aerendyl, or Harry Potter as you know him. He has never done 'normal,' and probably never will." Serah quipped.

*HPWD*

**A/N; I. Hate. Slow. Chapters. Regardless of my distaste for writing these types of things, I hope you guys appreciate it! Don't worry, it'll pick up soon.**


	8. Chapter 7 An Unlikely Alliance

**DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but my own characters. All characters, settings, spells, races, etc. that are included in the HP books are property of J.K. Rowling. Any other books, movies, shows, etc. that I may mention or draw from are property of their own creators and/or designers. I will most likely draw on some of the other fanfictions I've read, so if you see your stuff here, well, it belongs to you.**

*HPWD*

Chapter 7; An Unlikely Alliance

*HPWD*

Shortly after the Easter Holidays, Kalinth was walked down to the Quidditch pitch with the other three Champions, supposedly to get informed of their next task. As they reached the Pitch, Kalinth, Cedric, and Viktor all stopped and stared at the suddenly overgrown field.

"What have they done to it!?" Cedric exclaimed.

"Ah! There are my favorite fellows!" Bagman said, bouncing up to them. "Now then, as you can see, this is the beginning of the Third Task. Anyone care to guess what it's going to be?" The entire time, he had a huge smile on his face. Kalinth grumbled to himself; the man was way too cheerful.

Nobody said anything, aside from a few grumbles about the state of the pitch, before Viktor suddenly grunted out the very obvious answer.

"Maze."

"A maze! Very good!" Bagman chirped, acting as if they were little kids that had just told their teacher that two plus two equals four. "The Third Task is quite simple, really. The Triwizard Cup will be placed in the center of the maze, and the first Champion to reach it will be awarded an additional 20 points!" (A/N; I never got why there are three tasks, when the one who touches the cup first wins anyway, even if they were dead last in the previous two. Why even have the first two tasks? Just make the Maze longer and more challenging if you're going to make it that way! OK, rant done. Now we return to your regularly scheduled program of insanity.)

"Well, you'll get more specific info as the Task approaches. That's all for now!"

The four stared at him incredulously. He had brought them all the way down here, for two minutes of conversation?!

Grumbling, they move back towards the castle. About halfway there, and the silence still not having been broken, Kalinth decided to speak up.

"Before we all go back to our usual things, can I talk to you guys for a few minutes?"

The other three look at each other before shrugging and turning to follow Kalinth to edge of the Forest. Once there, the elf stared intently at each Champion in turn.

"First of all, we all know that this farce of a tournament is simply a way for a school to say that they are 'better' than the others, aye?" At their slightly-confused nods, he continued. "In light of that, what do you think would happen should _all _the schools win?"

"What do you mean?" Viktor asked curiously. (A/N; I have no idea how to write a Bulgarian or French accent, so if you guys could just imagine it..?)

"What if we team up for the last Task? We go through the maze together, it nearly ensures that no one gets hurt, and it will show the other schools what they can do when people of different backgrounds work together."

"Indeed, this could convince our schools to stop bickering. It may even allow for some transfers, as some parents might want to change schools if they are moving, or whatnot." Fleur added.

"So we are all in agreement?" Kalinth asked. "We will train together and defeat the Third Task as a group?"

"I'd say that's a yes," Cedric said, as everyone else nodded.

"Good," Kalinth nodded, starting to walk back towards the school, the others walking beside him. "Now, I propose that we each teach the others something that we are well versed in. There won't be a set leader, but it'll work more like a study group where we each work to strengthen each other. Sound good?"

"Yes, but where will we train, if we are to keep this a surprise?" Fleur asked.

"I have just the spot," Kalinth grinned as they walked through the front doors of the school, chatting and laughing happily.

*HPWD*

Barty Crouch Senior staggered out of the Forest in time to see the four Champions reach the doors of the school and step inside.

"No!" he moaned, stretching out a hand towards them and stumbling forwards. "I… Must… See… Dumble…dore… I… Mu-"

Crouch senior was cut off as a jet of red light impacted his back. Out of the shadows formed by the trees behind him, Professor Moody stepped out, wand trained on the still form of the haggard, balding man.

"Sorry, Father," he said, transfiguring the body into a bone, before picking it up off the ground, snapping it in two and tossing the pieces deep into the forest. "I can't let you do that."

*HPWD*

"Wow!" Cedric exclaimed, as they stepped into the Room of Requirement. "This is amazing!"

"That it is," Kalinth replied, ushering the other two in, before shutting and locking the door behind them. "Now, as the second oldest here, you show us something first, Viktor."

"Very well," The surly Bulgarian grunted, moving towards the middle of the room. Pausing, he tilted his head slightly in thought, before a very realistic dummy appeared before them. "Watch closely."

"**_OSSUM CONTERAT!"(1) _**He roared, bringing his wand to bear on the target.

A jet of bright purple light burst from his wand and flashed across the distance to impact the dummy's left forearm. A sickening crunch sounded and that section of the arm appeared to deflate slightly. Lowering his wand, Viktor beckoned everyone forwards as he started towards the dummy.

Reaching it, he pulled the dummy's arm up by the hand. The arm bent, not at the elbow, but at the forearm. Still holding the arm, he looked at them and spoke.

"The Bone Crusher curse. Unlike the Bone Breaker, it doesn't simply snap the bone. It utterly pulverizes it into dust so fine that only vanishing the dust and taking Skelegrow can restore the bone. It has the added benefit of getting lots of very tiny, very sharp bits of bone stuck into their muscles, making it extremely painful to move even the slightest bit."

"Interesting," Kalinth murmured, before stepping back and turning, summoning another dummy as he went. Drawing and pointing his wand at the target, he calmly said the incantation, watching the bolt of purple light fly across and impact. Instead of the crunch that Viktor produced, he had a sharp _Crack! _instead. Frowning, he firmly envisioned the bone being ground into powder. He cast again, this time with better results. Smiling, he turned to others.

"Very good! Let's practice for a while, then Fleur, and then Cedric can show us something."

With grins on their faces, Kalinth, Fleur, and Cedric set to work blasting dummy's to bits while Viktor helped correct them.

*HPWD*

A good hour later, and it was Kalinth's turn to teach. Viktor had finished showing them his Bone Crusher, Fleur had demonstrated a nifty spell that made one's opponent feel and act as if they were drunk, and Cedric had shown a modified version of the Bubblehead Charm, one that covered only the nose and mouth instead of the entire face, but could be extended to include the eyes if needed.

Now, they were looking towards Kalinth as he paced in front of them. Unknowing to the other Champions, he was palming some heavy, dense foam knives he had conjured when he started pacing.

Suddenly, he stopped his pacing, turned, and tossed the three knives one after the other, one to each of the other's faces. _ThumpThumpThump!_

"Bloody hell, mate! Those things sting!" Cedric exclaimed, massaging the bridge of his nose, where the tip of the blade had hit. Fleur looked absolutely furious, eyes flashing, and a few bright orange feathers peeking through her curtain of hair. Viktor merely looked disgruntled, though he did have his wand out for a spell.

Looking at the three of them, Kalinth spoke very seriously.

"Had those blades been real, all three of you would have been dead. In fact, the only one who had done anything other than stand there like an idiot, was Viktor! He at least had his wand out and was starting a spell!" Here, he started pacing again. "And there is my first lesson; If you let it, magic can be a crutch. In order to succeed, you must first, unlearn what you have learned." As Cedric chuckled at the Star Wars reference, Kalinth chucked another foam blade at him, ignoring his cry of protest when it hit at the same spot as before. "Shielding is your last line of defense. After all, most people don't know how to make spells track, and if you're not where they're aiming, then they can't hit you. If you ever watch a good duel, you will notice that the winner nearly always dodges or deflects the spells coming at him, instead of shielding them head-on. Here's an example."

Walking over to the dummy that was still set up, he cast an average-power shield charm, angled as if the dummy had cast it directly in front of the fake body.

"Viktor!" Kalinth called. "Please fire a piercing hex at this dummy."

The surly Bulgarian complied, a thin, silvery jet of light leaving his wand and spearing through the shield, shattering the magical construct and puncturing the 'skin' of the dummy behind it. Kalinth then cast the same shield charm, but at an angle.

"Again, if you please, Viktor."

Once more, the jet of light lanced out; only this time, the spell hit the shield and glanced off to the side with a bell-like sound to bury itself in the stone wall. Cracks spread over the shield, but it held.

Walking back over to the group, Kalinth started to speak again.

"There is no such thing as a perfect defense. I could have cast that shield with as much magic as I wanted, and it would have still shattered with enough energy in a head-on attack. However, if I angle it, like I showed, then only a portion of the spell's energy is transferred into the shield, leaving it mostly intact. Using that, I could theoretically block the Killing Curse with the proper shield. Despite that, the best defense is simply not being there when the attack hits. If you treat every spell like it's unblockable, then you will find yourself dodging more often than shielding. I'll leave you to think on that tonight, since it's getting quite late."

With that, Kalinth calmly walked out of the Room, leaving the other three behind him with thoughtful expressions on their faces.

*HPWD*

**A/N;**

**(1): Ossum Conterat; Spell that I came up with that literally translates to "Bone Crush." A spell that utterly crushes any bone material under and around the area of impact. Can be over-powered to completely crush the entire skeleton and the spell arcs along the connecting tissue. Feel free to use it in any stories you want to, but please give credit to where you found it.**


	9. Chapter 8 The Power of Three… er, Four

**DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but my own characters. All characters, settings, spells, races, etc. that are included in the HP books are property of J.K. Rowling. Any other books, movies, shows, etc. that I may mention or draw from are property of their own creators and/or designers. I will most likely draw on some of the other fanfictions I've read, so if you see your stuff here, well, it belongs to you.**

*HPWD*

Chapter 8; The Power of Three… er, Four

*HPWD*

** "****Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to the Third and final Task of the Triwizard Tournament!"** Once again, Dumbledore was bellowing out the greetings and information for the crowd. **"The Champion's Task is simple! Earlier today, Professor Moody placed the Triwizard cup deep within the maze! The first Champion to find and touch the Cup will be awarded and addition 20 points! As Mr. Aerendyl and Mr. Diggory are tied for first place, they will enter the maze first. They will be followed by Mr. Krum, and finally Miss Delacour. We will begin at the start of the cannon!"**

As he finished, Dumbledore gestured with his wand at the cannon set up a short distance away, and before anyone could react, it went off with a tremendous _BOOM! _He looked slightly sheepish, but gestured Kalinth and Cedric forwards anyways.

Turning to the stands, they both waved to their families. Kalinth's sharp eyes picked out Serah standing with the Weasleys and Hermione, as well as Remus and a great, shaggy, black-furred dog. They waved and called out to him. Grinning, he waved in response.

Turning back to the maze entrance, Kalinth and Cedric nodded at each other, before stepped forwards into the shadows. Going around the first bend and sitting down, they waited for the others to join them. The cannon sounded again, and Viktor soon joined them sitting on the firm earth. It sounded a third time, and the three stood up as Fleur walked around the corner. Kalinth could see the three teens take a deep breath to settle themselves, before turning to the single elf in their midst. They were a team, and they had trained for this.

"Cedric, you have right guard, Fleur, you have left. Anything approaches from the sides, you turn it back, or you turn it to dust." Fleur grinned, happy to have an excuse to blast living things with fire. Cedric just sighed at the expression on the part-Veela's face. "Viktor, you're our rear guard. Anything moves, curse first, question later." The Bulgarian chuckled darkly, twirling his wand, ready to blast things into little itty-bitty bits. "Alright, I'll take point. Stay close, and keep alert. Remember our training, and you'll do fine."

Squaring their shoulders, the four moved forwards, deeper into the gloom of the maze.

*HPWD*

Cautiously moving forwards, the four looked for any signs of life within the foreboding confines of the maze. Despite the slowness of it, they moved steadily towards the center of the maze. Kalinth couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, though. They were nearly 15 minutes in, and they still hadn't come across any obstacles.

Suddenly, Kalinth raised his left hand in a closed fist, as he came to a halt. The others stop behind him, tensing for a fight, but luckily, not saying anything. Lowering his hand, he gripped his wand/staff tighter, ears perked for any sound. Then he heard it; a quiet _click-clack _that was getting louder by the second. He knew that sound… Scenting the air, Kalinth caught the scent of insect, poison, and brimstone.

Cursing quietly, he whispered to the others.

"It's a skrewt. Remember, flip it, then blast the bejeezus out of it."

Viktor chuckled slightly, but otherwise, they remained silent. Seconds later, the ugly carapace of the skrewt could be seen rounding the corner in front of them. Crouching and taking careful aim, Kalinth shot off the first spell.

_"__Expulso!"_ A jet of red light lanced out from the tip of his wand to slip under the front legs of the skrewt and explode, sending a shower of dirt into the air, and flipping the giant bug onto it's back. Wasting no time, Viktor followed up with his piercing hex that punched a hole in the bottom of the creature's armor. A bright orange fireball, followed by an equally bright orange curse, rocketed through the hole in the defense of the skrewt that Viktor had made. Just as it started to burn from Fleur's fireball, Cedric's cruse exploded, showering the four in bits of burning skrewt-juice. A few quick vanishing charms took care of the bug guts covering them.

They all looked at each other, slightly sheepish.

"Maybe we over-did it a bit?" Cedric suggested?

*HPWD*

Rounding a corner shortly after the skrewt episode, Kalinth stopped dead, the others bumping into him, unprepared as they were for the sudden stop with no signal given. Curious, they leaned around Kalinth to see what the hold-up was.

Standing directly in the middle of the path, was Serelath.

"Serah?" Kalinth questioned, moving forwards slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"How dare you call me that name, you filthy, arrogant whelp! How you call yourself my mate! I should burn you to ash for all you've done to me!"

Stopping suddenly, Kalinth had a slightly pained look on his face as he asked his next question.

"What have I done to you, Serah? I know you aren't gravid, we haven't done… that… for quite a while… Was it something I said? We haven't had any arguments recently..?"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT! I HATE THAT NAME! Of course I'm not gravid, why would I even let scum like you touch me?"

A stricken look passed over Kalinth's face as he stepped back. He hung his head, and went to turn around, when he paused, something tickling at his senses. Reaching out with his mind, he darted across his link to Serah, to feel her still up in the stands, both sobbing and snarling at the torment the impersonation was putting her mate through.

Straightening up, he turned back to the creature impersonating his life-partner. Raising his wand, he spoke with deadly calm.

"You are not my mate. You are simply a bogart, trying to imitate her. _Ridickulus!_"

Instantly, the bogart was forced into a polka-dotted version of Serah's bipedal dragon form dressed in much to large clown clothes. At the four's laughter, it burst into smoke and was whisked away by the evening breeze. Sending reassuring thoughts to Serah, Kalinth continued on.

*HPWD*

"Huh. Now that's interesting." Kalinth said, calmly looking at the ground that was now above him. The other three were tense and didn't dare move as the glowing, golden mist surrounded them.

"I don't care if it's interesting, Kalinth! Just get me down!" Fleur screamed furiously. Cedric and Viktor vigorously nodded their agreement.

"Oh, stop complaining. It's just an illusion."

"An illusion!?" Cedric exclaimed. "I don't care what you say, this feels real to me!"

Rolling his eyes, Kalinth sent a gouging curse down next to his feet. As soon as it hit, a moderate amount of earth was scooped from the ground that seemed to be above them.

"Ah." Viktor said, looking rather embarrassed at being so frightened of an illusion.

Sighing, Kalinth stepped forwards, breaking through the illusion. The world spun around him before settling back to its proper position. Hearing a thump behind him, he turned and saw Cedric sprawled on the ground as the three stepped through the illusion. Stepping towards his fallen companion, he extended his arm downwards in a silent offer. Smiling, Cedric grasped his friend's forearm and pulled himself up.

"Thanks, Kal."

"Kal?" The elf asked, confused. Serah had called him that a few times, but he never thought much of it. Now, he realized he had a nick-name. He grinned. "I like it."

Moving forwards, they rounded the next few corners, only to come across a huge lioness with the head of a human woman.

"A sphinx." Fleur murmured.

"Very good, little fire bird." The sphinx said as she stopped her pacing and sat down directly in the middle of the path. "That which you seek lies beyond me, but to pass, you must answer my riddle. Should you believe this to be too difficult, simply remain silent, and I will allow you to leave unharmed to find another way. Should you answer correctly, I shall let you pass unharmed. However, should you answer incorrectly… Well, I'm sure you get the point," she said, showing off her pointed teeth in a feral grin as she finished.

The four looked at each other for a moment, before they slowly nodded one by one. Turning back to the sphinx, Kalinth spoke up.

"May we hear the riddle, please?"

The sphinx smiled slightly and nodded, before starting to speak.

"Alive without breath, as cold as death. Never thirsty, ever drinking. Clad in mail, never clinking. What am I?"

As she finished talking, the other three Champions turned to Kalinth.

"Why does everyone think I have all the answers?" he sighed, before addressing the sphinx. "It's a fish."

"Very good," she purred. "You have earned the right to pass. The others, however, have not. They must also answer a riddle."

"Very well," Kalinth said, calmly moving passed the Egyptian creature.

"What begins, but has no end, yet ends all that begins?" she asked next.

"Death," Viktor said simply. At her nod, he moved to join Kalinth.

"At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?"

Fleur frowned, and paced across the width of the path as Cedric tried to figure out what the ancient creature meant.

"Stars?" Fleur half asked, half stated. At the sphinx's nod, she also walked past. Now it was Cedric's turn

"I am the beginning of sorrow and the end of sickness. There's no happiness without me nor is there sadness. I am always in risk, yet never in danger, you will find me in the sun, but I am never out of darkness. What am I?"

Kalinth winced. Logic was not Cedric's strong suite.

The Hufflepuff paced back and forth mumbling to himself. Occasionally, he would pause and start to turn to the sphinx, before stopping, shaking his head and continuing on. After what seemed to be an eternity, he froze, then smacked himself on the forehead.

"The letter S," he finally answered the sphinx.

At her smile and nod, he moved on to rejoin the other three. Rounding one last corner, they were greeted with a soft blue glow emanating from the Triwizard cup at the end of the path. Starting forwards, Fleur suddenly let out a stifled gasp, before firmly pushing the others into the hedges opposite her. Nobody said anything, knowing that if Fleur had done that, something must be up. Silently, she pointed down the path at the dark blob slowly stepping over the hedges.

"Oh no…" Kalinth murmured, sliding down to the ground and quickly sinking into a meditative trance. Quickly, he suppressed as much of his magic and life-force as he could, knowing that if the acromantula felt it, the giant spider would instantly attack.

The spider paused for a moment over their path, but it seemed to dismiss whatever it had felt and moved on. Releasing a shaky breath, Kalinth came out of his trance once he was sure the giant arachnid had left. Shaking his head, he silently declined any explanations for the others at the moment.

Gathering around the Cup, they slowly reached for it.

"Stop!" Kalinth cried, jerking his hand back, barely an inch from touching the Cup. The others followed his command without question, though they did look a little irritated.

Weaving around the Cup, Kalinth activated his mage sight, letting him see the flowing streams of magic surrounding the Cup. He recognized the standard anti-theft and anti-summon charms that have always been one it, but also sees two newer spells, both portkeys. The paths were conflicting, however, so it was hard to tell where they went.

"This Cup has two portkeys linked to it," the elf explained as he looked at the other three. "They're set to activate whenever someone touches it, usually the winner only. The paths are conflicting though, so I can't tell where they lead."

Kalinth watched as the three glanced at each other before firmly facing him.

"We're with you, Kal," Cedric started.

"Every step of the way," Fleur finished, Viktor simply nodding in agreement.

"Thanks guys," Kalinth grinned.

"Alright! We have no idea what we're going to be port'ing into. Wands at the ready, and don't hesitate. Shoot first, even if it's at shadows, and ask questions later. The instant we land, tuck and roll; we'll need to get back to the Cup to return. I don't care what is there; get down, get the Cup, and get the hell outa there."

The three nodded at Kalinth's instructions, placing their hands over the Cup. At an unspoken signal, they seized the Cup as one, and their world dissolving into streaks of color and the rushing of wind.

*HPWD*

**A/N; Another chapter done! Almost there! Also, kudos to anyone who can spot the Doctor Who reference.**


	10. Chapter 9 KAL, SMASH!

**DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but my own characters. All characters, settings, spells, races, etc. that are included in the HP books are property of J.K. Rowling. Any other books, movies, shows, etc. that I may mention or draw from are property of their own creators and/or designers. I will most likely draw on some of the other fanfictions I've read, so if you see your stuff here, well, it belongs to you.**

*HPWD*

Chapter 9; KAL, SMASH!

*HPWD*

As they slammed into the ground, none of the four fought their momentum, allowing it to carry them through a roll and into a low crouch. Wands out, they scanned the area. Around them were numerous gravestones, each engraved with various names and dates. In a small clearing of stones sat a huge caldron filled to the brim with a vigorously frothing potion. Suddenly, a hissing voice pierced the darkness surrounding them.

"Kill the spares!"

In response, three jets of sickly green light lanced out from a shadowy figure, each aimed at the other three Champions. Luckily, they remembered their lessons, diving out of the way, only to come back up into a crouch again and fire back.

"Get to the Cup!" Kalinth bellowed as yet another one of his spells missed his target. It was like the figure kept shrinking just before the spells hit. Backing away from the attacking wizard towards the Cup, his eyes widened. "Wormtail…" he hissed. Sending another blasting hex towards him, he turned and slammed a hand down onto the Cup just as the other three did the same. As the magic took a hold of them, a panicked cry rang out Wormtail, followed by a faint jet of amber light streaking out towards them. Time seemed to slow down to Kalinth as it was then a race between the two magics. Just as the swirling lights of the portkey flickered into existence, the spell came into contact with their spinning mass. A cry rang out and time resumed normal speed, everything being lost in the swirl of light and sound that was portkey travel.

Within seconds, they were slammed down onto the Hogwarts lawn. Quickly, Kalinth leapt up, searching his fellow Champions.

"Fleur, you alright? Viktor? Cedric?"

The first two had nodded in response to his question, but Cedric had failed to say anything. In fact, the elf didn't even see Cedric anywhere near him.

"Cedric!" He called, spinning in circles, trying to spot his friend. The brunet was nowhere to be found.

"NO!" he cried as the reality of the situation set in. One of his team was missing. Cedric was gone.

Whirling around, he faced Viktor and Fleur.

"Are you with me, or not?" He asked shortly, nowhere near in the mood for his usual word games.

Neither of them even hesitated or looked at the other. They simply extended their hands, waiting for Kalinth to grasp them and take them to where they needed to be. Grinning, the elf reached out his hands, taking one of their in each of his. With a muffled crack, they disappeared from the Hogwarts lawn.

*HPWD*

With a soft pop, two humans and an elf reappeared on a hill across from the Riddle House and overlooking the cemetery. Crouching, they moved towards the slope of the hill, moving with barely a sound. Lying flat on their stomachs, the three looked out over the valley, trying to get a read of the situation. Kalinth, with his draconic vision, briefed the other two.

"Alright, it looks like we're a little too late. Moldyshorts has been resurrected. He's the figure moving around in the middle. About two dozen Death Eaters are surrounding them, all should be easy targets… Cedric is tied to the gravestone behind them. Ok, Fleur, you circle left, Viktor, right. Take down as many as you can without being seen. I'll come in around behind them and- Oh, that's not good…"

As he finished, the three could see spell-fire erupt from two different points below them. One figure was standing in place while the other was running and dodging as best they could.

"Ruth nii!" Kalinth swore, the draconic slipping past his lips.

"What is it?" Fleur asked in concern.

"Cedric is down there, and dueling Voldemort!" Kalinth snarled.

"What's the plan, Kal?" Viktor prompted.

"Same as before, but if you are discovered, forget the plan! Just go full hog on them and blast 'em to bits! Our number one priority is to retrieve Cedric. Everything else is secondary. If Voldemort tried to engage you, break away and run. If you can't run, use the portkey. Go!"

Darting forwards, they circled the assembled Death Eaters as the cheered on their master as he dueled with Cedric. Glancing to his sides, Kalinth watched as Fleur and Viktor took out the DE's quickly and silently, placing their wand close to the back of the neck and stunning them with barely a flash. With a quick flash of concentration, the scales forming the elf's armor seemed to ripple, before they turned to a midnight black, blending in perfectly in the moonless night.

Blanking his face, the elf crept up on his first victim, reaching around to cover the wizard's mouth with one hand while he struck his other hand forwards, a thin blade emerging from the wrist section of his bracer and plunging into the back of his victim's neck. Catching the suddenly limp body, he lowered it to the ground and went forwards, taking out more Death Eaters as he went. He grinned as his blade retracted once more with a soft _Shink! _It seems joining that Assassin's Order a while ago had ended up working out. Vaguely, he wondered what had happened to his comrades… Did they fall in battle, or did they go contently? Ah, well, he was getting off track. _Shink! _Another, down, way too many more to go.

Creeping up on another target, Kalinth winced as a single stick snapped under his foot with a startlingly loud _Crack!_ The black cloaked figure whipped around, long silver-blond hair flying as Malfoy Sr. snapped off a silent blasting curse towards the figure creeping up on him.

Launching himself to the side, Kalinth rolled away from his attacker, drawing his wand as he came up into a crouch. Sending off a piercing hex, followed by a bone crusher and a full body-bind, Kalinth spun away from Malfoy, knowing full well that if the aristocrat was injured in the least little bit, his emergency portkey(or "Whiner Escape Routes" as Kalinth liked to call them) would activate and take him away from the fight. As a warrior, the thought of linking something to your health that would take you away if you got more than a single scratch grated on his nerves.

Rushing towards the center of the formation, Kalinth shouldered his way past those present, forcing himself through to the clear point in the middle. Time seemed to slow down once again as he watched wisps of green light coalesce around the tip and shaft of Voldemort's wand, before starting to shot in Cedric's direction. Eye's widening, he rushed forwards, as time resumed normal speed, launching himself at Cedric a split second before he was hit with the curse.

As they rolled, the two brothers-in-arms sprang up using the provided momentum and instantly went back to back.

"Thanks, Kal!" Cedric shouted over the din of the full-on battle that was emerging around them. "I thought - _Protego! Depulso! _\- I was done for!"

"No problem!" He replied, swatting an incoming curse away with a flick of his wand. "Though less talk, more curses! _Confringo!_"

Looking around them, Kalinth took stock of their situation. Viktor and Fleur were holding their own surprisingly well against the fringe groups of Death Eaters that had engaged them. Surrounding the two Hogwarts Champions though, was the majority of the Inner Circle, all shooting rather nasty hexes and curses at the two.

"Enough!" the high and cold voice of the newly-reborn Voldemort rang out. "Those two are mine!"

Spinning around, the two Champions gazed upon the flat-nosed red-eyed visage of the Dark Lord Voldemort.

"Ah, hello there Tommy boy. I was wondering when you would start your little hissy fit." Kalinth stated calmly, simply twirling his wand a few times to loosen his fingers.

The self-instated Dark Lord didn't bother returning the elf's verbal jab. He simply sent a spray of a highly toxic acid that would melt anything that it touched, until it was neutralized by contact with the Earth.

Kalinth simply slashed his wand horizontally in front of his, creating a barrier of pure magic that the acid simply slid off of, turning to water as it hit the ground.

Now now, Tommy," Kalinth chiding, even going so far as to wag his left index finger as the seething figure in front of him. "Didn't your mommy ever teach you to play nice?"

"_Avadra Kedavra!"_

Side stepping the jet of green light, neither Kalinth or Voldemort reacted when it impacted one of his new recruits that was just a bit too slow to get out of the way.

"So be it," The elf stated with deadly calm.

Eyes widening, Voldemort barely had time to raise a shield as he was put under an onslaught of over-powered hexes and curses. Blasting hexes, blood boilers, blinding curses, summoning and banishing charms, cannon blasts, firework spells; the amount of magic flying at Voldemort at any one time was absolutely staggering. Finally, the dark lord managed to get off another killing curse, and though it was counteracted by a cutting curse bisecting it midair, it was all the time he needed to start blasting spells back at Kalinth just as fast as the elf was dishing them out.

By now, both sides except for the two combatants had stopped to watch the battle, friend and enemy alike moving farther back as they gazed at the spectacle in awe. The two magi dodged and deflected just as much as they blocked as soon the ground in between and surrounding them was charred and blacked with the sheer strength of the magic being thrown around.

Finally, desperate for anything to give him an advantage, Voldemort launched a dark cutting curse directly at Cedric.

"NO!" Kalinth bellowed as the curse went straight through Cedric's hastily cast shield, giving him no time to dodge. With a spray of blood, Cedric fell, deep gashes all over his chest. Rushing over, Kalinth knelt beside his friend, desperately casting any healing magicks he knew. They managed to stem the bleeding as Fleur and Viktor rushed over to join in, but that was all they could do.

Hearing the cold, high laugh of Voldemort, Kalinth froze and tuned out the Dark Lord's insane ranting.

"Water charms on my mark," he said quietly to Fleur and Viktor. "Ready, 3, 2, 1, mark! _Augumenti maxima!_"

As the three giant sprays of water washed over the assembled Death Eaters, Voldemort stopped his rant, confused at what they could possibly be doing. In seconds, the black robes of the DE's were soaked through. Standing, Kalinth turned to face the creature who dared threaten his friends.

"You think you are so superior to everyone else, simply because you are supposedly 'pure-blood.' Well, let me tell you something; you look down upon those without magic, or ones that come from a non-magical family. This technique that I'm about to use, however, was invented by a witch of non-magical heritage. You see, it sort of goes like this. _FULGORUS!_"*

Lightning lanced out from Kalinth's wand in a webbed circle, impacting the closest to the four Champions. From there, the residual energy left from his cast made the lightning jump from one soaked Death Eater to another, until there were only groaning, smoking heaps of black robes on the ground. Turning back to his friends, Kalinth spoke.

"Ok, that won't hold 'em for long. It was just a low-power blast meant to incapacitate," looking over Cedric once more, the elf could see he was right on the brink. "Alright, we _have _to get Cedric back to the castle. Serah and Poppy can work on him there."

Grabbing ahold of his companions, he concentrated on apparating them back to Hogwarts. Instead of being sucked through a tube, they stayed exactly where they were. Frowning, Kalinth tried another three times, each with the same result. Reaching out with his senses, he looked for the reason they couldn't leave.

"Dammit! The Micro-Lines** are out of sync!" Casting himself out farther, Kalinth reached for the major Ley-Lines that criss-crossed the land. They responded with the same vigor as always.

"Ok people, you're not gonna like this, but it'll work. Get on my back," As he finished, Kalinth shifted into a quadruped version of his main form that was large enough to carry four passengers without trouble.

As he crouched, Fleur and Viktor hefted a still-bleeding Cedric onto his back, before climbing up themselves. As he stood up and took off, the Death Eaters were just beginning to stir. As Voldemort just started to look up, Kalinth reached out for the Ley-lines and suddenly blinked out of their current dimension, the frigid, absolute blackness of _Between _enveloping them.

*HPWD*

**A/N time again! Ok, so one more chapter to go for this story arc! Well, more like one and a half. Then you get to wait for a while for the next part! Isn't that exciting!? No? Yeah, I didn't think so either. What I'll likely do is write 5 or so chapters of the next part, then post them every other week or so. That way I'm more likely to have a consistent upload time. Anyways, enjoy!**


	11. Chapter 10 The Beginning

**DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but my own characters. All characters, settings, spells, races, etc. that are included in the HP books are property of J.K. Rowling. Any other books, movies, shows, etc. that I may mention or draw from are property of their own creators and/or designers. I will most likely draw on some of the other fanfictions I've read, so if you see your stuff here, well, it belongs to you.**

**A/N; I am so sorry about the lateness of this! I thought I had uploaded this on Monday, but for some reason the submit button didn't take. Well, better late than never! Enjoy!**

*HPWD*

Chapter 10; The Beginning…

*HPWD*

Coming out of _Between _high above the quidditch stadium, Kalinth gave off a roar as he folded his wings and dove as quickly as he could towards the ground. At the last moment, he flared his wings, the tendons and joints aching and protesting as he hadn't done such a stunt for quite some time.

Landing with a heavy thump, the dragon quickly kneeled, allowing his passengers to drop from his back, carrying their precious cargo between them. Quickly, he shifted back to his elven form, ignoring the crowd as they started cheering, leading his fellow Champions in a sprint towards the professors and the healing tent set up nearby.

"MEDIC!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs, still in combat mode, instantly quieting the stands. "WE NEED A MEDIC HERE!"

As the four set the gasping form of Cedric on a bed in the healer's tent, the professors plus Serah rushed in, throwing the canvas flaps to the side. Quickly, they surrounded Cedric's bed and started tossing diagnostic charms and spells at him.

"Get out of my way! That's my son in there!" A commotion just outside the tent had the three Champions and the free professors turning in confusion. "My son, do you hear me?! MOVE!"

"I'm sorry, sir." The auror that stood guard said resolutely. "But I can't let you pass."

Ducking part way out of the tent, Kalinth laid his hand on the guard's shoulder.

"You've done your job well, comrade. Now let a grieving father past."

The guard looked at the elf for a moment, but finally nodded and moved aside. Before Kalinth could say anything, Amos was inside the tent and at his son's side. Ducking back in, Kalinth stayed a respectful distance away as Amos inquired about his child's health.

"I'm sorry, Amos," Madam Pompfrey said. "We can't help him. His wounds are too great."

Bowing his head, Amos managed to croak out a strangled question. "Ho- how long?"

"Five minutes?" Poppy said sorrowfuly. "Ten at the most."

At Mr. Diggory's resigned sigh and nod, Kalinth beckoned everyone out.

"Come on. Let's leave them to share their final moments, together, as they should be."

As they trooped outside the tent, though they didn't move far, Dumbledore gave a knowing look to the elf, but didn't say anything. Kalinth nodded in return, thankful that the elderly wizard didn't dredge up any more memories of his children screaming and roaring in agony as corrupt and evil magi slew them as if they were no more than simple cattle. And all for what? Their hide, blood, and organs.

Moments later, Amos came out of the tent, tears still streaming down his face, but looking much more content. Looking at Kalinth, he spoke.

"He doesn't have much longer, but he would like to see you one last time. Please, make him comfortable."

Nodding, the elf gently brushed past Amos and ducked into the tent. Once inside, the sounds from the stands were muffled, as if being heard from very far off, and the lights dimmed. Cedric laid on the bed, eyes closed and his breathing shallow. Moving closer, Kalinth made sure that his normally silent boots thumped slightly on the soft ground.

"Don't worry, Kal, I know you're there."

"Ah, but the term 'there' is a subjective term. I could be inches away from your bed, or I could be feet. I could be right above you, or I could be in another realm entirely. So really, you don't know where I am." Kalinth quipped with a small, sad grin.

Cedric started to chuckle, before it turned into shallow coughs and hacks. Darting forwards, Kalinth gently propped Cedric up with a few more pillows, and once the coughing fit had passed, held a glass of water to the friend's lips. After taking a few sips, Cedric leaned back with a sigh. Finally opening his eyes, the brunet looked at Kalinth.

"I just want to say… Thank you, Kal. Thank you for everything. I know we've had our rough points, but it was all good in the end, don't you think?"

"Yes, Cedric. It was most certainly a good time." Kalinth said, nodding gently.

"We've had our fair share of adventure these past few months, but I can feel my journey is not yet done. Perhaps… we'll see each other again?" As he said this, he raised a trembling hand towards Kalinth.

"In time, perhaps, Cedric. I'm not quite ready to move on though." The elf said as he firmly grasped his friend's hand in both of his own.

"Agreed," Cedric said with a rattling sigh. "Well, I guess this is it. You know, I always expected to go at a ripe old age, preferably surrounded by pretty girls."

Once again, the two shared a quiet chuckle.

"Goodbye, Kalinth. Give 'em hell for me." Cedric whispered.

"I'll make sure of it. Farewell, my friend." Kalinth responded, equally quiet, tears freely streaming down his face.

Cedric gave one last smile, staring at his friend's face, before his eyes slowly went glassy and unfocused, his body falling limp as his life and soul left his body.

Kalinth simply sat there for a moment, before gently placing Cedric's hand on his chest, before closing his glassy eyes and straightening the bedsheets.

Standing, the elf looked one last time upon the body of his friend, allowing the grief to wash over his as tears streamed down. Taking a deep breath, Kalinth centered himself and moved outside.

Looking at the sollem faces around him, he bowed his head and started to move off in search of Serah. Before he could even begin to look, a rough hand grasped his upper left arm and pulled him back towards the castle. Hearing the dull _Clunk _of Moody's fake leg, he let himself be pulled along, knowing his old friend would have a good reason for pulling him away.

Reaching Moody's office, Alastor pulled Kalinth in behind him, before turning and locking the door. That wasn't too different from his usual behavior to make Kalinth suspicious, but the lack of addition locking spells and rune-anchored blood-wards was. Cautiously, the elf-shaped-dragon started to bring some of the flammable gas that all dragons used to power their fire into his throat, ready to be ignited at a moment's notice.

"So what was it like?" Moody asked without preamble.

"I'm sorry, what?" Kalinth asked, even more confused.

"The graveyard. What was it like?"

Now, the elf was even more warry. He hadn't said anything about a graveyard… Slowly, he started to inch his hands to his twin mythril long-knives sheathed on his belt.

"I'm curious… How many of his followers answered the call? How many were too cowardly and ran. How many –Urk!" As Moody started to whip himself into a frenzy, he was suddenly cut off short as his entire body convulsed.

Standing silently and moving off to the side, Kalinth watched as Moody shakily reached into his coat and withdrew his hip-flask. Popping the cap off, he raised it to his mouth, only for nothing to flow out. Dropping it on the ground, he hurried away, crashing through cabinets and draws in his search for whatever was supposed to be in the flask.

Raising his head slightly and sniffing, Kalinth cringed as the pungent smell of Polyjuice reached his nose. Just as he started to back into the shadows fake-Moody whipped around, wand drawn and snarled in a contorted voice

"Well, if I can't deceive you, then I'll just have to take you in myself. I will be rewarded greatly for pleasing my Master. Though, he didn't specify that I couldn't have some fun with you first! _Cruc-!"_

_"__Bombarda Maximus! Incarcerous!" _Bellowed the voice of Dumbledore from behind the locked door just as Kalinth started to draw his knives to block the curse. The blast wave from the explosion knocked the imposter off his feet and into the far wall of the office, knocking him out cold. The multitude of ropes lashed out immediately afterwards, binding fake-Moody's arms and legs tight to his body. Slowly, he toppled forwards as he lost his balance.

As the teachers rushed in, Kalinth stood from his crouch, re-sheathing his blades as Dumbledore levitated the limp form of fake-Moody into a chair and added more ropes just to be sure.

"He's polyjuiced, Albus," Kalinth supplied.

Glancing over to him, the elderly mage nodded in thanks, before turning back to the imposter as the polyjuice started to wear off.

His skin started to bubble and roil, as if it had suddenly turned to melted wax. The fake leg and eye were pushed off as the appropriate limbs and organs grew back. His hair lightened to straw blonde and the features roiled until the form of Barty Crouch Junior was sitting on the chair, bound in ropes.

As the Moody-imposter woke up, Dumbledore spoke.

"Hello, Barty," As Crouch Jr. snapped his head around to stare at Dumbledore, the headmaster tightened his grip on his wand. "What a surprise to see you here."

*HPWD*

**A/N; And one chapter left! Though, it's more like a half-chapter, but no matter. As always, enjoy!**


	12. Chapter 11 Of the War

**DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but my own characters. All characters, settings, spells, races, etc. that are included in the HP books are property of J.K. Rowling. Any other books, movies, shows, etc. that I may mention or draw from are property of their own creators and/or designers. I will most likely draw on some of the other fanfictions I've read, so if you see your stuff here, well, it belongs to you.**

*HPWD*

Chapter 11; …Of the War

*HPWD*

Two days later, on the last Sunday of the school year, the day before the students left on the Express, the school was woken by a hauntingly beautiful hymn. The mournful melody was created by the two giant dragons slowly circling above the castle in the early pre-dawn light, their out-stretched wings casting long, dark shadows on the ground below.

As the sun came to its peak a few hours later, the entirety of Hogwarts and her guests could be found milling around on the damp emerald turf of the Quidditch Pitch. Dressed entirely in black, it was not a happy mood as the schools mourned the loss of a promising student, and a great friend.

At the Northern side of the congregation, under the goal-posts and with Hogwarts castle in the background, laid a white marble casket. On top laid Cedric's body, eyes closed and hands clasped on his chest, draped in a silk Hufflepuff banner. The teachers surrounded the dais on which the casket stood, forming a protective circle. Kalinth and Serelath sat regally on either side of the dais in their quadruped forms, tails curled around their feet like a cat, and wings arching to the skies.

As the sun finally peaked, Dumbledore walked out so he was standing a bit in front of the casket. Slowly, the constant murmuring of the group died down as more and more people turned their attention to him. Clearing his throat, he began.

"Ladies and gentlemen, students and teachers, friends and strangers, I ask you to join me today in remember one of our own, as he is no longer with us to remind us of his character. As such, I believe that it falls to us to do so for him, and ensure that his memory remains pure and true to who he was, and is. I ask you now to help me remember Cedric Diggory.

"To many, Cedric was not only a shining example what it means to be a student of Hogwarts, but also a fine and fierce friend. And recently, he was also a wonderful tutor to younger students, helping many with their work, in addition to keeping his own grades up. I, for one, will greatly miss him. I ask his fellow Champions to say a few words."

Stepping up the podium as Dumbledore moved back, Fleur tapped her throat with the tip of her wand.

"When I first met Cedric after the Champions had been chosen, I have to admit that my first reaction was that he was just another 'pretty boy' with no real common sense or knowledge of the world. He soon disproved me of that during the first Task. Shortly afterwards, us four Champions began to become friends, or acquaintances at the least, with Cedric and me particularly close.

"After the second Task, the four of us got even closer as we started training together in preparation for the final challenge. I have never seen someone who could go from a perfectly friendly young man to a vicious foe in as little time as Cedric could. He was honorable and the perfect picture of a gentleman; never attacking first in our spars and always ensuring that we each got the best treatment we could should we be injured.

"Though his character was ultimately his downfall, it was also his greatest quality. In my opinion, the world needs more Cedric Diggorys." Looking to the heavens, she continued. "Wherever you are, my friend, I hope it is a better place."

And so it went on, with each remaining Champion saying their part, before Cedric's friends each said their own goodbyes. Finally, when all was done, and the sun setting, Kalinth and Serah moved from their silent vigil. Each of them raising a single forepaw, the dug their claws into the earth, scoring a deep furrow into the ground, which they then extended their magic into, shaping it perfectly. Turning their heads towards the casket, they started to hum, reaching out with their magic once more as they did so.

Gently, they lifted the casket as the top was closed and sealed for eternity. Moving with deliberate slowness, they continued their funeral hymn, lowering the casket into the grave, before covering it with the displaced earth. As the spectators watched, the majority with tears in their eyes, a white marble headstone materialized out of the ground a short distance away, before being floated over and placed at the head of the grave. As that was finished, a layer of fresh green grass grew up from the ground of the grave.

Finally, as their song died out, the two dragons took in a deep breath. As the last sorrowful note faded away, they let loose an ear shattering roar, accompanied by twin jets of bright flame that swirled and danced around each other, guided by their magic and will. As the pillars of flame died out, an incredibly bright sphere of white dragon-fire slowly floated down to rest just above the peak of the arch-shaped headstone.

*HPWD*


	13. Chapter 12 Epilogue End Arc 1

**DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but my own characters. All characters, settings, spells, races, etc. that are included in the HP books are property of J.K. Rowling. Any other books, movies, shows, etc. that I may mention or draw from are property of their own creators and/or designers. I will most likely draw on some of the other fanfictions I've read, so if you see your stuff here, well, it belongs to you.**

*HPWD*

Chapter 12; Epilogue: End Arc 1

*HPWD*

"Let's go, Boy! I don't have all day!" Vernon Dursley called as Kalinth and Serah exited the barrier separating King's Cross and Platform 1&amp;¾. Rolling his eyes and waving to his "uncle" to make sure he was acknowledged, Kalinth turned to his mate.

"Be safe, dear," he said, leaning down and giving her a peck on the cheek. "I'll be back as soon as I can without messing up the weave of fate."

Smiling, she nodded, giving him one last hug and kiss before whispering in his ear.

"Go."

*HPWD*

Moments later, Kalinth shoved his trunk into the boot of Vernon's company car and slid into the passenger seat behind his "uncle," directly next to Dudley. Glancing over, he saw that the miniature whale was trying to squeeze as far into the corner as he could, a feat made nearly impossible as he took up the majority of the back seat by himself. Vaguely, Kalinth wondered how the heck Dudley had managed to hook his seatbelt in…

He was drawn from his musings as Vernon started with the usual threats of punishment and lack of food. Nodding and replying in the proper places, he sighed internally. Looks like nothing had changed.

*HPWD*

The next morning, Kalinth woke up feeling rather cramped, with a crick in his neck and his back as stiff as a fresh 2X4 plank. Staring at the cracked ceiling above him, he wondered why he had woken so early, when he had stayed up late last night warding everything in his possession against theft or tampering. His unasked question was answered as he heard his "aunt" banging at his room's door and screeching for him to get up and make breakfast for them.

Grumbling, he hauled himself off the tiny bed in the spare room of the Dursley household. Getting dressed, he put the chest-plate of his armor on under the muggle clothes he had to make the Dursley's happy. He had a feeling he would need it.

Exiting his miserable excuse for a room, Kalinth sensed Dudley behind him as he approached the steps. He could also feel the beady eyes of his "relatives" staring at him in glee as their fat lard of a son gave Kalinth a strong shove off the top of the steps.

Sighing in exasperation, Kalinth let himself roll with the momentum, falling into a perfect hand stand midway down the steps, before springing off his palms, twisting through the air and landing softly in a low crouch. Non-coherently, he walked into the kitchen, ignoring the startled stares of his "family." Looking at the note Petunia had left out, Kalinth sighed. Once again, the Dursley's were getting a full English breakfast, while he was stuck with a browning banana and a bruised apple. Getting started on their food first, he stared balefully at the plant matter they expected him to live on, his draconic instincts roaring in fury. Grumbling, he turned back to his cooking when the stove refused to ignite. Scowling, he spat a small blue flame towards the burner, igniting the accumulated gas in a concussive _Wumph. _Growling as his "family" gasped, he shook his head. This was going to be a long summer.

*HPWD*

**A/N; Well, these have been absolute torture to write. I was debating on so many different ways to finish this off. Did I want to stick with cannon, or did I want to go AU? Bring Serah along, or leave Kal by himself? It was driving me crazy, but there you are. The final chapter of the first arc of Harry Potter and the Wings of the Dragon. I hope you guys enjoyed it! The next part of the story will likely be up sometime during the summer break, when I have more a chance to write. **

**ALSO! If any of you play Destiny (Great game, btw. Go try it out if you haven't already!), I have been having a plot bunny that just will not leave me alone one bit. I'm posting it at the same time as I'm posting these, so go check it out. Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter 13 The Scorched Summer

**DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but my own characters. All characters, settings, spells, races, etc. that are included in the HP books are property of J.K. Rowling. Any other books, movies, shows, etc. that I may mention or draw from are property of their own creators and/or designers. I will most likely draw on some of the other fanfictions I've read, so if you see your stuff here, well, it belongs to you.**

*HPWD*

Chapter 13; The Scorched Summer; Begin Arc 2

*HPWD*

_Life in the Dursley household was perfectly normal, thank you very much, as both Petunia and her husband Vernon Dursley would declare to any who would bother to listen. But, as is often true with those who hold to something so closely, everything was not normal with the Dursleys. You see, they had a secret. No, nothing like you're thinking. Instead, this secret had a name. What was that name, you ask? Well, it-_

"HARRY POTTER!"

Kalinth sighed, as his "uncle" bellowed up the stairs to his tiny room. Crumpling the piece of paper on his desk, the currently elf-shaped draconic shapeshifter tossed the ball of paper into the air, making it burst into flames with a quick thought. Though it was amusing to write about what might had happened had the true Harry Potter survived his birthing, it was only a pastime, and had no real use. After all, who would want to read about the life of an angsty teen who attended a school that most didn't even know existed?

Shaking his head, Kalinth walked out of his room, distractedly waving his hand behind him to activate the wards embedded in the runes lining the doorframe. Lightly trotting down the stairs, he rounded the corner only to nearly barrel right into Dudley.

Nimbly dodging around the walking baby whale, Kalinth ducked into the kitchen where the rest of his "family" waited. Wordlessly, he looked between Vernon and Petunia, a question in his eyes. Early on in the summer, they had all decided that the magic lacing his voice disturbed the two greatly, and it was best for him to not speak around non-magicals after he had re-awoken his true power during the previous school year.

"Vernon and I are going out to supper," Petunia supplied as her husband simply grunted and scowled. "Since Dudders is off to tea with his friends, you cannot be seen skulking around the house by yourself. We'll be back shortly after dark, and I do not want to see you a moment before or after 9 PM. Do I make myself clear?"

"Aye," Kalinth ground out, a deep growl tinting his voice. As Vernon started to open his mouth, a quick glance and snarl from the elf was enough for him to rethink saying anything.

Baring his teeth in a savage grin, Kalinth stalked out the door, headed towards the local park, the only place around that he could clear his head.

*HPWD*

"Let go of me! HYYA!"

"OW! You'll pay for that, you little bitch!"

A long, tapered ear twitched as its owner squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds, before snapping them open.

Sitting up on the branch of the oak tree he was perched in, Kalinth peered out through the dense foliage to see Dudley's full group of 5 arrayed before a young girl. She couldn't have been more than 10 or 11 winters old, by the elf's estimation, and had her back to the tree line of the forest that bordered the park. Piers was holding his left hand in pain, sporting what seemed to be a broken wrist.

Reaching out with his mind, Kalinth gently brushed against the girl's panicked thoughts, giving her the idea to dart into the forest. Spinning around, she did just that before Dudley's gang could react.

Guiding her to his current tree, Kalinth leapt lightly down to the lowest possible branch. As she approached, he whistled quietly to get her attention. Snapping her head upwards, she spotted him in the branches. As a fearful look came over her face, he smiled gently, extended his hand towards her and glanced meaningfully back towards where the gang was bashing through the brush.

Glancing back and forth a few times, she seemingly made her mind up, looking up at Kalinth and giving him a firm nod. Backing up a few steps, she took a running start, leaping as high as she could to grasp his forearm. Seizing her, he hauled her upwards. Instead of setting her down on his current branch, the elf swung her around so she was riding piggy-back on him, before leaping into higher branches.

Setting her down in a secure nook, they watched anxiously as the gang milled around for a bit before giving up and heading out to find another victim. Sighing in relief, Kalinth turned to his young companion, summoning a small ball of white light to hover over his shoulder as he did so.

"You-, you're- you're a wizard!?" she half gasped, half questioned, staring in amazement at the small floating ball of light.

"Indeed," Kalinth said, chuckling. "And judging from the rather unique letter sticking out from your pocket, I can guess that you would be newly informed that you are a witch, yes?"

At her shy nod, the elf smiled gently, settling down to answer the deluge of questions that soon followed.

*HPWD*

Kalinth growled to himself as he stalked up the steps into his room at the Dursley's. Of all the times dementors had to attack, it was when he and Dudley were walking home under an uneasy truce. At least the girl – Donna Noble, he had found out – was safe at her home.

As he approached the door, it slammed open from the force of his magic swirling around him. Tossing the crumpled letter from Mr. Weasley aside, it was quickly shredded by his aura, before bursting into flames.

Stopping for a moment, he calmed himself, the raging maelstrom of his magic easing off. Holding out his hand, Kalinth summoned his staff to him. As it materialized, he grasped the shaft of polished white wood. Tapping the butt of the staff on the floor once sent all his possessions either into his personal pocket storage dimension, or into his school trunk. A second tap on the lid of the trunk shrunk it down to the size of a matchbox. Picking it up and slipping it into a pouch on his belt, the elf turned and sat cross-legged on his bed, staff lying horizontally across his lap. Now all he had to do was wait.

*HPWD*

_Crash! _

"Watch it, Tonks! We don't know how long they'll be gone!" A low, gravelly voice whispered down in the kitchen.

Ears twitching, Kalinth snapped his eyes open, getting up out of his meditative pose. Shrinking his staff down to its wand form, he slunk out of his bedroom door, and ducked into a darkened corner of the hallway, calling the shadows to surround him. Flipping up the assassin's cowl of his armor, he watched and waited.

Within moments, a group of six came trooping up the stairs, pausing in front of Kalinth's bedroom door. Spotting Remus at the back of the group, he crept up behind the were-wolf. Grasping Remus' hair, Kalinth pulled his head back he placed the edge of a dagger against the were-wolf's throat.

"What is my wife's favorite element?" he growled in Remus' ear.

"Harry?" the were-wolf said, startled. In response, Kalinth simply pressed the blade a bit more firmly against his skin. Lowering his voice so only the elf could hear, he continued. "Oh, right, sorry. You don't have a wife, you have a life-mate, and her preferred element, though she can't wield it well, is water."

"Indeed."

In a sudden burst of movement, Remus tore away from the dagger as Kalinth relaxed, grabbing the hilt and ripping it from Kalinth's grasp as he went. As he held the elf at knife-point, he asked his own question.

"What was in the fish tank sitting next to my desk the first time Harry Potter came to visit my office?"

"A grindylow," the elf replied calmly.

Satisfied, Remus handed the blade back to the elf, before enveloping him in a tight hug. Startled, all Kalinth could do was awkwardly return it.

"Oh for goodness sake, enough with the wishy-washy tender stuff. We'll have time enough for that later!" Moody snapped.

"Good to see you too, Alastor," Kalinth chuckled. Peering around at the unfamiliar faces, he started to move down the steps. Turning his head to the side, he tossed his question over his shoulder. "Who's with you anyways? I know Tonks from Hogwarts and Mr. Shacklebolt from a few interviews in that rag of a paper, but I'm afraid I've never met the rest of you."

As Alastor didn't seem very forthcoming, Remus took up the slack and answered for him as they reached the kitchen.

"Well, over here is Dedalus Diggle." The short little man trailing behind Moody raised his hand and waved cheerfully. "He was with the original- Well, I'll just let Professor Dumbledore explain that one, if you don't already know about it. Over next to Tonks we have Hestia Jones, also one of the old group." Here the middle-aged brunet gave a short, curt nod, which Kalinth returned. Obviously, this was not a witch that liked to play around while on missions. "And if I might ask, why are we already down here? I can understand you thinking we're here to take you to our place – which we are – but don't you still need to get packed?"

Kalinth simply pulled out his shrunken trunk.

"Intent activated shrinking charm. I enchanted it while I was still at the castle. How are we getting there anyways? Apparition?"

"No," Remus replied. "Apparition, Portkeys, and the Floo network can all be traced. We'll be flying."

"Smart, but did you think of communication? It's kinda hard to hear each other over the rush of the wind." At their sheepish looks, the elf just shook his head. "Kids these days," he muttered before continuing. "No matter. I'll just link us into a Hahnuv Lox." (A/N; Yes, I know that in Dovahzul, hahnuv is mental, while hah is mind. It just sounds better to me, so there.)

"A Ha-whatchamacallit now?" Tonks piped up, confused beyond belief. First, she was informed that the first-year kid she had met in her last year at Hogwarts wasn't human in the least, then she had to accept that he was much _much _older than 11, and was a powerful draconic battlemage on top of that.

"A Hanuv Lox," Kalinth replied calmly. "A Mind Web. It's perfectly safe, the dragon flights used to do it all the time. That is, until the demons reduced them to their current state in a last act of evil before they were sealed away," Here, he frowned, getting a far-off look in his eyes before seeming to shake himself. "Anyways, you'll feel a light brush on your minds. That's just me, so if you have any Occulemancy shields, I would ask you to let the thread in. Here we go in 3… 2… 1… and relax…"

Extending his mind outwards, Kalinth gently probed those around him, drawing a thread of their consciences into his own mind and creating a delicate web out of the strands of thought. As soon as the last threads were connected, the assembled wizards and witches gave a sudden jump as they realized they could sense each-other's emotions, and hear any thought directed towards them.

"Ok," Hestia said out-loud. "That's just weird. I like it!"

Shaking his head, Kalinth lead the way outside, ignoring Moody's grumbling of "dark magic" and "bloody annoying dragons."

Now out on the lawn, the various wizards and witches lined up in a rag-tag formation.

"Alright, listen up!" Moody barked. "Tonks, Jones, Diggle, Lupin, you're our flankers. Stay on our sides and keep rotating. Kingsley, you have rear guard, I'll take point," he paused as yellow sparks were sent up from over the woods. "Alright then, prepare yourselves!"

As the others arranged themselves, pulling out and unshrinking brooms before mounting them, Kalinth stood in the middle of the group, looking rather amused.

"Harry!" Looking to his side, Kalinth spotted Tonks looking at him in confusion. "Where's your broom?"

"I'm a dragon, Tonks," he quipped back. "There's no way I'm going to go flying on a piece of wood for the first time in two months."

Grinning, she nodded in understanding. The elf knew she was mostly just agreeing with him to prevent a longer conversation and risk irritating Moody; until you had flown on your own wings, you would never know what true freedom felt like.

As she watched, Kalinth focused and let his form flow and shift into something much more suited to night flying than his usual shapes. When he was done, he stood low to the ground on four short, but powerful, legs. His body and tail were extremely streamlined, with two massive wings folded upon his back. At the base of his tail were a pair of smaller fins to help with smaller adjustments, while the two fins on the tip of his tail lent incredible aerial agility to his form. His wide, spade-shaped head and short snout allowed him to cut through the air with minimal effort, while the array of sensory fins on the rear of his skull provided detailed information about air pressure, currents, temperature and the like. From nose to tail, he measured in at about 30 feet long, with his wingspan measuring at an astounding 100 feet and the entirety of his body being covered in shiny scales that were such a dark blue, they looked black. (A/N; I'm doing a terrible job of explaining this, aren't I? Just think of Toothless from the How to Train Your Dragon movies with both tail-fins, and much bigger. Body about half again as big as in the second film, and double the wingspan.)

Moody gave a grumble at his form, but didn't complain too much, since it truly was suited for night flying, what with the cat-like eyes and such. Just then, a shower of green sparks burst over the forest.

"We're clear!" Moody called. "Let's move, people!"

Snorting and shaking his head, Kalinth simply stood from where he sat on his haunches and waited. Within seconds of Moody pushing off, the riders were in the air, waiting for the dark-scaled dragon to catch up with them.

_"__Let's go, Aerendyl," _Moody sent through their mind-link, impatience tinging his mental voice.

With a quick mental growl in Moody's direction, Kalinth crouched, extending his wings to their full span. Leaping into the air, he gave them a few strong strokes to get himself moving, the air reverberating with each down-stroke of the massive swaths of leathery membrane.

Shooting upwards past the broom riders, he tucked his wings in and twirled, elated to be in the air again. Flipping over, he dived back towards the rapidly climbing group, flaring his wings at the last possible moment to come into an awkward hover in front of them. This form was meant for speed and agility; hovering didn't count and was actually rather uncomfortable as he hung awkwardly in the air before them.

Wordlessly, Moody scowled at him, before shooting off towards the North-East at the top speed his broom could handle. Huffing in slight annoyance, Kalinth lazily gave his wings a few strokes, angling himself to follow along behind Moody, the others falling in around them.

As Remus had a rather old and tired-looking Cleansweep that was ancient even before he was at Hogwarts, they couldn't go particularly fast, maybe about 45-50 mph, or around 70-80 kph. This meant that the trip would take at least an hour of constant flying; and that was if Moody didn't want to dodge all around the countryside. (A/N; Yes, I'm aware that the real Surrey is only about 20 or so miles away from London. However, everyone in the books always makes it out to be much farther than that, so I'm going with about 60 miles or so; something the Dursley's wouldn't be completely against if they had another reason to go into the city besides dropping Harry off at the station, yet not so close it would make driving or flying there pointless.)

_"__Alastor!" _Kalinth called through their link once everyone had reached an appropriate altitude. _"Don't bother weaving around like I know you want to. I'll keep an eye out for any pursuers. Just take us right to HQ, alright?" _

Moody grumbled a bit, but did adjust his course accordingly. Satisfied, Kalinth rolled his wing-shoulders in a very specific movement. As he grunted in slight discomfort, the main support bones for his wings dislocated very slightly, his muscles locking up around it, preventing his wings from flopping around uselessly. Unfortunately, it also prevented him from deviating from his chosen path. Now in "lock-wing" as the dragons of old had dubbed it, he settled in for a long glide.

*HPWD*

An excited bellow of "KAL!" greeted him the moment Kalinth opened the door to what was supposed to be his room in the old, decrepit house. Startled, he reacted on instinct and went to grab his supposed "attacker" with one hand while the other was pulled back and his hidden blade extended.

"Whoa, Kal! Please don't stab me!" The panicked cry made Kalinth blink in surprise, as if seeing the person he was pinning to the wall for the first time. Stepping back, he released his hold on Hermione's hair, retracting his blade as he went.

"Sorry, Hermione," He mumbled, rubbing the back of neck in embarrassment.

"Don't take it personally, 'Mione," Ron spoke up as he walked over from his bed on the far side of the room. "He's done that enough to the rest of our dorm that it's not even funny now. We're so used to it, we just generally ignore him when he decides to start scaring people again."

"Nice to see you too, Ron," Kalinth chuckled. "So, how have you been?"

"Meh, alright, thanks. It's Mum; she's going insane over this house. It's a-EEP!" Ron suddenly jumped and audibly squeaked as Kalinth interrupted his response with the tip of blade just a hair's breadth away from the bridge of Ron's nose.

"It's 'EEP,' Ron? Is that what this house is to you?" Hermione said with a teasing grin on her face. Ron just scowled as they broke down laughing.

*HPWD*

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and the purpose of your visit," The cool, feminine, magically generated voice rang through the tiny telephone box that served as the entrance to Britain's Ministry of Magic.

"Arthur Weasley, escorting Harry Potter to a disciplinary hearing."

As Arthur stopped speaking, there was a quiet chime, before two silvery badges clinked out of the coin return chute. Scooping his up, Kalinth frowned at the conjured material, before hooking it into his belt, which was oddly absent of any sort of weapon. He quickly returned his attention to the ride as the booth started to lower into the ground at an alarming rate. Squeezing his eyes shut as the ground came up to meet them outside the glass, the elf tried to calm himself, humming a short tune under his breath.

When the booth finally came to a stop, he couldn't wait to get out, bursting through the door and into the Atrium of the Ministry. Taking a few deep breaths and closing his eyes again, Kalinth jumped as Arthur laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"You alright there, Kal?"

Shakily nodding, Kalinth opened his eyes, noticing the multitude of people milling around them.

"I hate confined spaces like that while underground. I can handle caverns just fine, but shut me in a tiny box like that and then start lowering that box into the ground. Oh boy, you have a problem there. I had forgotten why I never used the visitor's entrance…"

Nodding, Arthur gave Kalinth's shoulder a final reassuring squeeze before letting go and heading for the desk at the far end of the Atrium. Approaching the desk, the rather bored-looking wizard sighed, folded up his magazine, and looked up at them.

"All visitors must submit to letting their wand be ID'd, so if you please," he said, gesturing towards what looked like a set of old brass scales with only one dish. Shrugging, Kalinth withdrew his was from his wrist holster. Letting it drop gently into the dish, he waited patiently as the machine ticked and whistled for a moment, before spitting out a piece of parchment. Ripping off the stub, the security wizard read off in a bored tone.

"Thirteen-point-seven inches long. Wood of Yggdrasil. Combined cores of powdered greater dragon scales, greater gryphon feathers, storm phoenix feathers, and bound by dragon blood. Been in service for… more than two hundred years. That correct?"

"Aye," Kalinth growled out.

"Very well then. You get this back," the wizard stated, extending Kalinth's wand back to him. "And I keep this stub. It will automatically self-destruct once you are out of the Ministry buildings."

"Thank you," Arthur said, just a tad impatiently as he grasped Kalinth's elbow and lead him towards the lift. As they went in, Kingsley managed to dart in just before the doors shut.

"Morning, Kingsley. How are you this morning?" Arthur greeted warmly.

"Fine, thank you, Arthur, but you two won't be if you don't hurry," he said, quickly overriding the preset destination that Arthur and Kalinth had entered into the lift's mechanism. Punching in another floor, he continued. "They moved the hearing. It's down in the old trials rooms next to the DoM in two minutes."

"Merlin's beard," Arthur gasped. "Why would they do such a thing?!"

"To discredit me," Kalinth supplied before Kingsley could. "If I show up late to the hearing, it doesn't look good, plus if I'm late enough, they can decide the verdict without me."

"Indeed. I would suggest that you two hurry."

"Yes, thank you Kingsley. Kal, we'll just barely make it, so here's what's going to happen. I can't go in, since I'm not involved with the case. Just be yourself, but if Fudge is in there, remember; do _not,_ whatever you do, reveal you are anything but part Elf. If they realize that you are really a full-blood dragon, no matter how intelligent or powerful, they _will _remove any all rights, making you nothing more than an animal. We can't let that happen."

As he had been speaking, the lift had clattered to a stop and the doors opened, letting them out. Nodding as Arthur stopped his instructions, the two hurried along the corridor to the only door with any light coming from under it. As Kalinth placed his hand on the knob to open the heavy door, Arthur placed his hand on the elf's shoulder once more.

"Good luck, Kalinth. I suspect you'll need it."

"…in the room? I repeat, is Harry James Potter present?"

Fudge's pompous voice drifted out from the room, making the two wizards grimace.

"Thanks Arthur. I do believe you're correct."

Nodding to the red-head, Kalinth turned and took a deep breath, before steeling himself and pushing open the door to the courtroom.

*HPWD*

**A/N; Well, this was longer than I was expecting. Hopefully this will be a trend that continues. Yes, I know this one skips around a bit, but I needed to get to the trial. That's where the fun stuff starts. I have also decided to post these as I finish them, meaning you might get a few a week, or one every other month; I'll see how it goes. I hope you enjoyed it so far!**


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